Chronic illness and christianityEach One Can Reach One CampaignEmotions surrounding chronic illnessGeorgia ShafferInvisible Illness Awareness Week 2010The importance of encouragement
Spreading The Sticky Note Love Part 2- You Are Good Enough
Following on from my last post Spreading The Sticky Note Love, I really felt that it was necessary to write an encouraging post and leave a sticky note on this blog as well, in the hope that whoever needs to read it will find it and be encouraged. So here it goes.
During Invisible Illness Awareness Week I was listening to one of the virtual conference workshops over at invisibleillness.com. Georgia Shaffer, an author and psychologist whose books include- Taking Out Your Emotional Trash, How Not to Date A Loser and A Gift of Mourning Glories: Restoring Your Life After Loss, was speaking on the topic "Living With Chronic Illness: Why It Hurts, How To Cope"; along side other guest speakers. One thing that she said hit me hard- "your good enough is good enough." At that point in time I had been feeling the exact opposite, that my good enough was just not good enough. The previous week I was informed that after nine months of supposedly living in remission, that my fibromyalgia in fact never left. I had been feeling as though I was just surviving each day, I wasn't thriving like my friends, family and doctors expected me to. I have felt like I am not trying hard enough, not fighting hard enough, that I am not a good enough daughter, sister and friend, that I'm not strong enough, not a good enough writer, that I don't read my bible enough, pray enough or attend church enough- generally just feeling not enough. After four years the weight on my shoulders that I wasn't "good enough" was becoming too heavy to carry and with the simple and yet profound truth of those words, something in me broke and I realised for the first time that my "good enough" is in fact "good enough".
It was in that moment that God revealed to me why I had been thinking that I wasn't "good enough". I was viewing my life from the human view point rather than submitting to looking at life from God's viewpoint. I was constantly comparing my life to what it used to be, to what I used to be able to do. I used to be able to study, work and maintain a social life and now some days are just a miracle if I get out of bed and get dressed! I used to be healthy, where did I go wrong? I have been focusing on the things that I used to be able to do and therefore the things that I am no longer able to do now and it was dragging me down. I was placing limitations on myself that didn't need to be there. I was also comparing my life to that of a healthy person, silly I know, but when you are listening to a young energetic person babbling on about all the things that they have done, are doing and are going to do and the inevitable question "what do you do?" comes up, "oh just a bit of craft every now and then when I can" *long look of confusion*- it's understandable that I and many others living with chronic pain feel that we just don't measure up. In mid conversation, I've had to literally bite my tongue to prevent my tear ducts from exploding with a catastrophic flood because all I do is focus on getting out of bed and surviving another day and to some people that just doesn't seem good enough.
From the human view point my life sucks- I'm a twenty two year old woman disabled by chronic pain who has been since the age of eighteen. I've had to give up my university studies, my job, my social life and according to the world I have very little that is good in my life BUT I do! I have God in my life. I have joy, hope, perfect peace and contentment. I know that He is in control and that He has a plan and purpose for my pain- a plan that is more than "good enough". God defines who I am. My current circumstances do NOT define who I am. I am so much more. Who I am goes way beyond what I can and cannot do. Sure, I have limitations but God sees that I have limitless potential. In the eyes of the world we may not measure up, but we are not called to be of the world, we are called to be children of God! We need to start seeing ourselves as He sees us- in His eyes we measure up! If all you can do is manage to wash the dishes, or put on a load of washing that is okay, "your good enough is good enough". Celebrate it.
God cares about the details of your life, no matter how small. "We can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good"-Romans 8:28. Know that you are God's child, adored by Him. He has chosen YOU. Following God's will isn't always easy but God doesn't make mistakes- He picked YOU for this task because He knew YOU could handle it. He knows what you are capable of. He sees limitless potential and He wants to use it for His glory. He thinks you are wonderfully special. You are precious in His sight. He thinks you are "good enough" and He doesn't just think it, He knows it.
© Emily Ruth 2010
You can find all five free conference workshops at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/invisibleillnessconf
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