Inspiration from Others
Prompt: A comment as a blog post. Pick someone else’s post (from the past or from today) and write a comment to them. Write that comment as your blog post for today. Link back to them to let them know you were inspired.
I want to dedicate this post to a new friend of mine, @eneevs. I am inspired by him on two counts, but we’ll start with number 1: the faith expressed through his blog. I just read his most recent post, “No Good Thing” – and it just put tears in my eyes as I read my very own emotions and struggle with faith so clearly expressed. Please read it – it is an excellent post that basically claims that God is good; he withholds no good thing from his children; and so, we must accept that if we do not get the seemingly good things that we ask for, it’s because God has deemed it not good for us right now.
I believe this with all of my heart, though sometimes the reasons are beyond our understanding. However, on occasion, looking back on life you can see the hand of God in difficult circumstances and get a glimpse of why He may have allowed you to experience certain tragedies. It may be that the good that comes out of the trial is better than the good that comes out of the time of peace. It forces us to grow in our faith and learn to rely on God in new ways, and certainly builds our character.
I have to say that just the idea of chronic illness was something I struggled with for a long after my diagnosis (you can read a little about that in my last post), but I decided to give up my struggle and simply trust God. I falter some days, to be sure, but you know what? God has begun to show me how he is using my RA to bring people and activities into my life that would otherwise have never been. I think of all of the wonderful people I’ve met through the #rheum community on Twitter. Not just nice people, but people I now consider to be true friends. Some of whom I’ve recently been blessed enough to meet in person, and others who I will be spending time with soon!
And what an opportunity I’ve been given! As a patient, I know how others feel when they battle this awful disease, and that puts me in a better position to try to offer hope and encouragement when other patients are feeling down. RA also gave me the opportunity to be a part of the ACR 2011 Meeting and gain new experiences with the RheumatoidPatient Foundation. That was an amazing experience that I assure you I never would have had if I hadn’t had RA. I’ve been to similar conferences for work before, but nothing compares with being a part of a cause and area of study that you are so intimately passionate about.
Whew. And that’s just my first reason @eneevs inspires me. Now on to #2: He’s the caregiver, not the patient. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to see caring spouses online, looking for information and support for their other half. You know they love their spouse so deeply, and as patients, we know how important those relationships are. I cannot imagine fighting RA without my husband. I don’t know where I’d be without his love and support. So, this is a shout out to the spouses and caregivers of the chronically ill – you are so important to us, and I thank you for all that you do! I also want to give a special shout out here to @youngwifestale – who is also an excellent caregiver to her husband. Thanks for setting a good example of how to care for your spouse!
This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J
ABOUTME
Hi there! My name is Dana and I live in West Michigan with my husband, Tom and our dog Copernicus. I created this space as a place to share the things I learn along this journey I call life. I work in marketing and I'm a sort of Jane of All Trades, interested in all things nature, gardening, cooking, exploring and learning new things. This blog is a conglomeration of my interests, hobbies, life and life lessons. Thanks for stopping by!