Hi Spitfire: I personally do not live with MS, but I am part of a prairie Canadian church so there is absolutely no doubt that as a church we have lived with MS. There are so many people living with it around here, some with severe forms and others with milder. In fact, a woman around here just went to India for that controversial surgery and is feeling much, much better. I am not sure how much people know about it. I am learning myself just because I am meeting more people who have MS. What is your situation?
I am not sure that inclusion happens all in one moment. There are moments and signposts along the way that say to you, yes, I belong.
The latest signpost that I had was just recently. It was after a very long and dry period of feeling that both me and my daughter, did not belong. My daughter has bipolar II and it is treatment resistant, which means that she spends a lot of her time coping with her extreme moods at both the high and low end of the scale. But it just looks like she is a bad kid, which she is not.
A few weeks ago, after yet another painful week of 'behaviour' my daughter ended up in the hospital, certified yet again. We decided as a family that we really needed support and so we had the pastor announce off the pulpit that my daughter had been hospitalized after her latest manic episode. I was terrified of the judgement that I was sure would follow. Then he prayed for her. I was moved to tears to hear my daughter prayed for in the normal way.... no shame, just begging for God's mercy and healing in her life. This prayer said to me,we belong, mental illness and all. Thank you God.
Posted in: What would you find helpful here?
Hi Spitfire: I personally do not live with MS, but I am part of a prairie Canadian church so there is absolutely no doubt that as a church we have lived with MS. There are so many people living with it around here, some with severe forms and others with milder. In fact, a woman around here just went to India for that controversial surgery and is feeling much, much better. I am not sure how much people know about it. I am learning myself just because I am meeting more people who have MS. What is your situation?
Posted in: All Inclusion Is Local
I am not sure that inclusion happens all in one moment. There are moments and signposts along the way that say to you, yes, I belong.
The latest signpost that I had was just recently. It was after a very long and dry period of feeling that both me and my daughter, did not belong. My daughter has bipolar II and it is treatment resistant, which means that she spends a lot of her time coping with her extreme moods at both the high and low end of the scale. But it just looks like she is a bad kid, which she is not.
A few weeks ago, after yet another painful week of 'behaviour' my daughter ended up in the hospital, certified yet again. We decided as a family that we really needed support and so we had the pastor announce off the pulpit that my daughter had been hospitalized after her latest manic episode. I was terrified of the judgement that I was sure would follow. Then he prayed for her. I was moved to tears to hear my daughter prayed for in the normal way.... no shame, just begging for God's mercy and healing in her life. This prayer said to me,we belong, mental illness and all. Thank you God.