Y - You are not alone

Dealing with any type of illness or chronic pain can be isolating. In fact, I would consider it to be one of the worst parts of enduring an illness. It’s so important to remember that you are not alone in your journey with your condition. There are many others who, although they may not understand exactly what you feel and your unique situation, understand how the journey can go and feel.

There were times, especially at the beginning of my diagnosis, when I just did not speak because I felt like I was wasting my breath trying to describe how it felt. It began to affect me emotionally to the point where I was becoming depressed because I felt so alone in my struggle. The depression led to isolation. Not only was I missing out on outside activities and gatherings because of my illness, but I also started to avoid going anywhere because of my emotional state. I’m so grateful to have gotten the strength to remove myself from isolation. But still to this day, there are times when it just feels so lonely to have to go through these ups and downs that chronic illness brings. 

Living with an illness can be equally isolating on the spiritual side. We feel alone in our struggle with faith and hide our questioning of how God could allow this to happen to us. We may feel that we are unable to share our journey with others for fear of being rejected or criticized. And if we’re being truly honest, many times we can feel as though we have been abandoned by God. There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed and I thought surely God was not by my side.

Many times we feel as if no one could truly understand what it is like to walk such a difficult journey in faith. But Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us this is not so:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

If we look at the preceding verses in Hebrews 11, we read that the writer has given us examples of people in the Old Testament who had endured with great faith. He talks of Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and the prophets who all went on these arduous journeys with great faith as they pursued God’s promises. 

So, we are admonished here to look to those testimonies that we have recorded in our Bible. There were others who endured immense hardship, death, illness, war, famine, ridicule, and more, but they endured it with faith that God would fulfill His promises. Therefore, how much more, then, can we endure in faith because we have God’s promise of Jesus, the perfecter of our faith, to look to?

You are not alone. There are others who are experiencing the same type of circumstances you are. You have brothers and sisters in Christ who have been through diagnoses and symptoms, who have gone to the agonizing doctor appointments, and tried the different medications. Additionally, there are written testimonies of men and women who lived long ago and persevered through many trials. Remember, you are not alone. 

I have been extremely blessed to have a community of believing chronic illness survivors around me who support and lift one another in encouragement and prayer. If you are interested in joining such a community, I have a private Facebook group for Christians with chronic illnesses. It’s a place where you can receive encouragement, prayer, or just simply feel like you are not alone. You can join by clicking here.