Fibromyalgia

I've been wanting to write about Fibromyaligia for a while now, but it's such a tricky topic. When we did the series, In My Shoes, I asked a friend to write about her life with fibromyalgia and she declined. Now I know why.

I've wanted to raise awareness and let people know that it isn't a made-up thing that doctors diagnose crazy people with when they can't find anything else wrong with them.

I've wanted to let people know about the silent battle that it is because on the outside, it looks like one with fibromyalgia is completely normal.

I've thought about explaining the things I have learned about it and the ways I have learned to cope with it since I was diagnosed.

But none of that has brought me to the computer yet. All of it seems so trivial. Yet such a big part of my life, it's weird.

Today, I want to talk about fibromyalgia and the effect it has had on my life from a spiritual point of view. That's what really matters, and that is the reason why most days, I am actually thankful for it as much as I hate it.

Ann Voskamp shares a quote in her book, 1000 Gifts, that *"suffering is the hole in the backdrop in our lives that allows us to see through to God." That's how I feel about my health these days.

Fibromyalgia has let me see through to God. It has stripped away so many ugly things in my life that were/are distractions to seeing God. It has helped me to recognize what a gift life is, how dependent I am on the Lord, and mostly, it has shown me how awesome and available He is. It has made me stronger, because it has caused me to believe even more that God has my back every single time and He is all I will ever need. Having Him means that all my other needs will be met. Hands down, no questions asked. I don't have to worry or fear. I am safe no matter what happens or how bad life gets. I despise all the man made rules that we have adopted into society that tell us we have to do this, this, or this to earn favor with God. There is only one way to earn favor with God, and that is by believing in Jesus Christ. The rest is about surrendering to God, not pleasing God. I don't want anything to do with the pressures and expectations of this world. I don't want them! I live for the King and He is such a faithful King. It is true that blessed are those who mourn.

In the beginning and still on some days, fibromyalgia causes me to mourn. But even in the worst of days, it allows me to see through to God.



 
*paraphrased