There’s a story in the Bible where Jesus heals a man’s son by driving out demons which were throwing the boy on to flames of fire (you can read this in Matthew 17: 14 - 20). It is assumed it look as though the boy was having an epileptic seizures. The message of story is not about healing or Jesus driving out demons to relieve the son of his condition, rather a father’s compassion for his child and his father his father's faith in Jesus' ability to make his son well again.
There is another story in the bible where people are trying to trick Jesus. They ask him teacher who sinned first? What they actually what to know can a child be born with a disability without someone committing a sin or the child’s parents being unceremonially clean. Jesus answered neither the man nor his parents had sinned.
It saddens me that I encounter many Christian who believe that sickness and infirmities are the work of the evil one. People still cast out demons and evil spirits today. I’ve had many `demons’ cast out and apparent filling of the Holy Spirit is the only way to ensure they can’t gain a foot hold. So if a condition is not being caused by demons, as we are assuming their already been casted out, like in the second story it must be cause by unconfessed sin.
Lately I’ve being feeling a little bit ‘marked’ by my epilepsy, unfortunately it’s been coming from people who are trained to help me live with my condition. I experience complex partial seizures, I am fortunate to have warning allowing me to either let people I am with know or get in a safe position if I am by myself. Some people appear as though their waiting to have a seizure. If I don’t do something taxing I won’t have one interesting theory. Others want a big sign on the back of my wheelchair rather than my necklace which is largely unnoticed. It is hard to comprehend that such a common medical condition still has a strong stigma attached.
As a result of a few people wanting to treat me as though I was made of china, my mind wonders back to a time when I was undiagnosed and because I didn’t lose consciousness the ‘turns’ as the were called at the time were not thought to be epileptic. During summer I would have many turns at church. I was visiting a charismatic church one day and was sitting in an area where know one knew me, when I had a seizure. There in the middle of a service people stood praying for my healing in the name of Jesus while I continued to fit. Strangely no one called an ambulance to assist.
It often hurts that people I should be able turn to for support, seem to have many misconceptions about epilepsy. As a Christian I can always count on Jesus. He has always been my rock, personally I don’t think Satin or the emery had any involvement during the period before my diagnoses, but if the emery did, God allowed it to be. Just as he ultimately had protective hedge around Job and future blessings for him, and I believe he has a protective edge around me.
I am told when someone has a combination of Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy, it is almost impossible to control seizures. However, I rest in peace in the knowledge, that like Job I don’t see the big picture, but because Job’s story was recorded in the Bible I am assured of God’s protection.
I look forward with eager anticipation to the day I meet Jesus face to face and he totally restores my body.
As wise woman once told me God created her and He doesn’t create junk. So I guess that leaves me just as broken as the next person.
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