Lyme disease and your faith in the goodness of the world!

His power is perfected in weakness.

From a religious standpoint, 2nd Corinthians 12:9 is great.

Lymedriven-- I am still really eager to hear how you got well, could you please post some general things that helped you? thank you!

When you feel yourself challenged with finding goodness in light of having Lyme - just take a look at this forum. Seriously - look hard at all the people here doing what they can to help each other! You will find similar things on other Lyme forums. This doesn't have to be just about religion - no matter what your beliefs are.

I don't see Lyme as a punishment - how could I? I was infected by the age of 7 and I'm 51 now. What could I have done so seriously wrong in the eyes of God to deserve a lifetime of illness like this? Instead, I've turned it around. It's given me the opportunity to help many, even if it's just a place to vent. It's not like I have a job to go to - other than here and taking care of myself and my family.

Do I miss not having what so many others have? A life outside of Lyme? Of course I do, but I won't let that stop me. You won't find anywhere in the Bible where God wishes us to be miserable. So I concentrate on finding what God would have me do. I'm here, in this situation, am I going to let it conquer me? Or do I use all my power, including a powerful God, to help me get through this and help as many along the way as I can reach?

I enjoy the warmth of the sun so much more now than I ever did, and the beauty of nature - whether it's a hummingbird at my window that I have time to stop a watch, or the hill sides as they change colors with the seasons. Whether it's my grandsons (ages 2 1/2 & 5) or my own adult children. I take in everything I can take in. Life is good - even with this infection.

Now I realize that I don't deal with some of the fear that those of you who are going through this for the first time do, I've already had that. My fears are that with each new infection, do I get weaker, and because of having had my first set of infections, how much more damage will have to be corrected? I've still got a long road ahead of me in my treatment and recovery, but I refuse to say anything but life is good! I'm here and I"m mobile - that's what counts most. I can enjoy life from my chair if I need to.

So hang in there and keep looking for the good in things. If you can't find anything good about a situation, leave it alone for a while, and think on the good things of your life. It's very likely that, with time, you will come to see something good in all experiences.

Teregram- I agree with you. the part that is so hard with this is feeling like we got caught up in this awfulness- and don't know how to get out- or if it will work or not. I mean, what kind of life is that? How random to get afflicted with this- perfectly healthy people getting so ill for so long form one insect bite. Yes I know the world has always had horrible thing in it. But it is completely different when it is oneself living it!
I want to feel in faith about it- healing will happen. But it can feel so bleak, so my faith is tried. I know there is tons of goodness in the world and I see it every day. But when my body mind and spirit are suffering with this, the goodness can feel overrun by suffering, which is such a terrible place to be,.

I know. But not everyone gets healed from illnesses. Think about cancer or Lupus for example. You can only make do with what you have, with the hand you're dealt.

Hey, I just started watching the best Saturday Night Live skits on Youtube! They make me laugh. Even laughing a little is good.

You can watch your suffering, but you can't dwell in it.

Or you can scream, holler, and bang your fists until you feel better!

I'm not saying I don't have a hard time!!

Margaret

all I can say is this - I would not have gotten thru this past year without my faith. Praying to God and asking for His guidance is what got me through, along with the support of my family and friends of course. But the day that my husband's cousin (the priest who married us) had a mass said for me, is the day I looked at the calander and realized that the pimple I had under my belly button weeks earlier was indeed a tickbite. I was leaning towards the diagnosis of lyme, despite the fact that 3 drs disagreed, but I just was not sure and was afraid to self treat with doxycycline until I made the revelation that particular day. Divine intervention has played a huge role in my life during challenging times, and this was one of the times. As I suffered thru lyme, I changed, my whole view on life changed, my body changed, my marriage changed, but all for the better in the end. Now that I am pregnant, I must say I don't think all of this would have happened if I didn't get sick with Lyme. I had two miscarriages before I got sick, and somehow I feel like this one is going to be good. Maybe all of the events in my life and my healing went along a lot faster than most - but this past year sure felt a lot longer than just 12 months. But if it had taken longer, it still would have been worth it. I do not believe God passes along challenges to those who cannot endure them. Most often suffering is indeed a blessing in the end. Just hold on to your faith as much as you can - as Traveler said, look at all of the good on this forum. I too plan to turn this around and help people, I already have on this forum, but I want to do more, but it will have to wait because I am too busy dealing with my morning sickness and pickle cravings, LOL!

I believe that God gives his hardest battles to His strongest soldiers. I've been sick for five months and still have yet to reach a diagnosis. My sister told me that if God were to give this to anyone it'd be me because I don't stop until I get to an answer for anything.
I think that once you recover it will only make you grateful because we tend to take good health for granted when we're healthy, which is a totally normal thing to do.
I will pray for you and your healing!

Often, I wonder why good people still suffer. Please dont answer that one either, not with verses anyway. If you have many years chonic illness, you need some type of belief, or some inner power to go forward.

That might just be faith in yourself, if you have overcome very difficult things in the past, accomplished stuff most people could not do, mental, physical, grueling sports competition or job / career stuff.

If you have experienced something very positive like that (that seemed near impossible at the time), and can play it back in your head, its probably etched in your memories forever (it is with me) - that helps. Without that, I would be much worse.

On the other hand, having experienced temporary blindness from this illness will also haunt me forever. I cant describe that in words., and I cant forget it. The end seemed pretty close back then.