Excavating the past to help me remember who I was before illness and setting my findings in the light of who I have become through being so gravely ill has been an amazingly inspiring exercise. I know it is tempting for us with Lyme disease to grow discouraged or bitter because of all that we now cannot do and all that we have lost. Yet my experience of recalling the life I have lived has made me even more grateful for it having gained some distance from it, and I have found that with the growth, emotional and spiritual, which has occurred through bearing illness, I am able to appreciate it in ways I never could before. Even the quality and value of past events and relationships have been changed for the better, in light of the changes in me that have been wrought in the crucible of illness.
In the midst of my recollections, I have been brought back to Paris where some of God’s deepest works in me were to be initiated and are still, even now, unfolding. In honor of His great beauty and love, I’d like to share a little something of Paris with you, and encourage you to make a similar journey, wherever you currently stand in relation to your illness.
Sandra,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping in at Living with Chronic Lyme Disease. Your comment was an encouragement to me. I also appreciate this post. The crucible is an unforgiving thing at times. This has been an especially rough season for me. If it were only me, I think I could handle it better. But I have four boys needing special care as well. I am thankful they are healthier than one would expect of kids with congenital Lyme, but there are still life changing/limiting issues to be dealt with. Some damage may be permanent. Anyway, thank you for being an encourager! I have a Lyme Support page that's public if you'd like to join us. I also have a secret Lyme group on Facebook where we can talk freely without outsiders looking in. You can go to my blog for the Lyme Support button.
God bless!