A couple of weeks ago someone commented on one of my posts talking about my struggle with long covid. It was a Christian brother who felt the need to call me to the mat for making my illness the center of my life and for focusing on the negative and not Jesus. 

I’ll be honest, it stuck in my craw and here is why.

I cannot help but wonder has this person ever commented on a friend's post complaining about their sports team losing and said “you’re making your team the center of your world instead of  Jesus”. 

Have they ever commented on someone’s post commiserating how expensive gas and groceries are by telling them, “You’re making the economy the center of your life. You should be more positive”

Why is it acceptable for people to complain about the economy, the current president, the latest social outrage, but it is looked down upon to speak about our medical struggles? 

As I thought about this today, I thought, how foolish and inconsiderate that statement was. 

The truth: 

LONG COVID IS THE CENTER OF MY PHYSICAL LIFE RIGHT NOW

I can’t work...because of long covid. 

I can’t play piano, sing and lead worship as God called me to do...because of long covid. 

I can’t spend time with my kids, my parents, my wife's family...because of long covid. 

I can’t read my Bible for more than a couple minutes without getting mental fatigue...because of long Covid.  

This past Labor day I cooked some barbecue for several of our neighbors and paid dearly with body aches, cognitive issues, and extreme exhaustion the next day...because of long Covid. 

Just today my wife had to fill out my paperwork at the doctor’s office because my hand was shaking too much to write legibly…because of long Covid. 

Why do people expect Christians to never talk about struggles when the Bible if full of struggles and trialsin it's characters lives? 

Elijah went and hid in a cave and begged God to kill him. Job, the man everyone praises for saying “Those He slay me yet will I praise Him” then spent the next thirty plus chapters complaining about how God had treated him. Paul spoke regularly about his shipwreck, beatings, and thorn in his flesh

.

MY FAITH IN CHRIST IS STRONG!

I haveLong Covid, an illness in which depression is overwhelmingly common, and I also being bipolar, so the deck is stacked against me emotionally, but I have gone fifteen months on this journey with no more than a day or two of depressed feelings....because my faith is strong!

While this brother says I am negative and faithless, I began a clothing brand called DIAGNOSIS:HOPE which focuses on clothing with a positive message for the chronic illness community. The mission of this company is give hope to the hopeless.

Yes, I speak a lot about my illness, and I refuse to be shamed by someone who has not stood in my shoes, does not walk beside me day by day as I fight like hell to overcome seemingly impossible odds, does not see me in debilitating pain and yet still getting out of bed, still getting dressed, still trying to laugh and smile. 

Many, like this brother sees someone speaking openly about their medical struggles and choose to shame them because they THINK (I say again they THINK) they would do things differently in their shoes. But what is needed to be done is what God did to Elijah in that cave, love them, care for them, be there for them and once they have recovered, encourage them to get back to loving out their walk.

The apostle Paul said it best: “Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice…NEVER BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES” Romans 12:15-17

Remember, you my friend are not lazy, a liar, or a lunatic, you are a LEGEND!

Lee Lumley