I copied and pasted this from this weeks weekly check in because I asked Steve a question about acceptance and I would like to hear more stories about how others have come to accept their PD...and move forward. You know, not get stuck in the sad and angry at God and life stage of grief. I haven't gotten stuck there yet, but I seem to keep bouncing back and forth a lot and staying there longer than I would like. Please read and respond if you would like to. Thanks.



Steve,

When you say that life does go on as we find acceptance of our situation, I want to know HOW to really accept it. I reach this point where I think I have accepted it, then something new crops up with me. It sends me into this whirlwind of doubt and uncertainty and frustration with God and with myself. I have always had a very deep faith even as a small child. I have had a lot of things happen in my life that have been difficult to deal with but I have managed to accept them and move forward and just trust God. This time things are different. I am sad and angry at God...not a good combination. Yesterday a friend that I have been friends with for fifteen+ years called me. We started talking about my faith and I completely broke down. She asked if I had been going to church regularly. I told her that I hadn't been going. I told her about all of my feelings and how I just feel that I don't belong there right now. She said that maybe God was trying to get my attention with all of this health stuff. I told her that I didn't think God worked that way and that if he did, I didn't need that kind of God in my life...followed by an expletive! She asked me if I believed that God could heal me. I told her that I would like to think so, but that there are so many sick and hurting people in the world and people dying of diseases that can't be cured. I question the ability of God to heal because if that were the case...why is there so much suffering and sickness everywhere??? Yeah...I'm a little bitter. She went on to tell me to focus on the positive and that she would be praying for me and that I should keep my eyes open to God working in my life. The spiritual side of me wanted that to be true...to see God working in my life. The negative part of me thought, "Yeah, right...you just don't get it!."

Well, yesterday shortly after that conversation I went out with my sister to run some errands. I wasn't planning on going to Costco, but we happened to stop there. Lo and Behold...I ran into my Pastor's wife! I felt so compelled to go and talk to her...so I did. I explained my situation and asked her about a group at church that I had heard about that focuses on people with chronic health conditions. As we were talking my Pastor walked up. Again, I explained my situation. Mainly, I explained the same thing that I wrote up in the first paragraph of this post regarding acceptance. They were both so wonderful and encouraging. At one point I began to cry because I really couldn't believe that God had brought me together with them yesterday. He knew how much I was hurting and how much I needed some reassurance that he is good and capable of miracles. Long story short, we all stood together in the front of Costco and prayed together. They had me write my number down and invited me to come find them at church on Sunday. Um, yeah...I'll be there. God got my attention this time.

For those who aren't spiritual...my goal was not to offend you with this post. My goal was to give people who are like me, lacking in their faith because of unfortunate circumstances, a little boost in their faith.

With Love,

Evonne
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