Graceful Fight

Navigating faithfully though life with a chronic autoimmune disorder...the journey to true healing.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Chronic illness - pride, isolation...and redemption!

Chronic illness stretches you...stretches you beyond what is physically, emotionally and spiritually bearable on some days, weeks, months or even many years for some. 

I'm going on year 8 myself, navigating life with a rare and progressive Autoimmune Disease (Relapsing Polychondritis) that brought me to my knees. It has challenged me peel back layers to get to "me". Not the me that loved fitness or the me that always had to have the perfect hair or the cleanest house, but ME. The real me. The one God wants to see. Thankfully God isn't looking at my house or my hair because i'm not keeping either of those up very well these days! 

As pride sneaks in, I have been forced to look it square in the eye and, with God's help, get past it if I want our home and family to keep functioning. The friends who bring meals or offer help with the kids etc, are a priceless gift but pride prevented me from accepting that gift for several years. What a loss for me and those who wanted to bless our family in such a tangible way. Thank you Lord, for continuing to strip me of destructive pride!

As pride is slowly being broken down, feelings of isolation and loneliness are being broken down with it.  It's much easier to curl up in a ball of self-pity on the harder days, but that's what the Enemy wants. It's much harder to pick up the phone, call a friend and say "i'm having a hard time.".  Making that call is a powerful step in the right direction and I have found God rewards those efforts.  Many times in the past, friends have offered to come talk and pray with me yet pride kicked in and the messy house or something else so prideful and unimportant was reason enough to say "no". Those "no's" made my pride more solid and lead to so much isolation and loneliness. What a vicious cycle. Thank you Lord, for replacing my feelings of isolation with a desire to connect with people you put in my life on a deeper level. 

Developing a chronic illness seemingly overnight is an adjustment for anyone. A huge adjustment! Life as one knows it is stripped away, but if you allow Him, God will fill you up with so much more than what chronic illness is capable of stripping you of. 


Society teaches us to be strong and independent...but what does the Bible say?
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Be blessed, friends! 

xo,
Linda 






 





  

6 comments:

  1. Simply beautiful my dear sister in Christ <3

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  2. I can so relate to this. The perfectionist in me is having a hard time with chronic illness. Thank you for this reminder and your transparency.

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  3. VERY well put - I have a disability (autism) - and I find myself having to learn to trust God to help me with a LOT of stuff

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  4. wow - as always, Gods timing is perfect. As a nurse being diagnosed with MS devastated me - the decline has been brutal and the unexpected loss of my husband last August carried me literally to deaths doorstep. But the Lord had further plans for me here, so.... here I am but some days (today being one) are tougher than others. Thank you for this.

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  5. Hi Linda! I just commented on your previous post and now I'm realizing that I remember you and you left a very sweet comment on my blog. I feel so bad for the pain you're in. It's so hard to let go of the messy house and accept help. I'm so glad that when you've reached out, your friends have helped you. I'm praying that God comforts you and helps you live a life that you can find joy and peace in.

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  6. Beautiful testimony. Thank you for sharing your heart. Have you connected with Florence at More Faith Health Potential? She talks about chronic illness, as well.

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