Tag Archives: Psalm 22

A Parkinson’s Prayer

26 Thursday Mar 2015

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parkinsons walkAs some reading this may know, my dad has Parkinson’s disease.  For the past few years, he’s been struggling with this neurological and movement disorder.  From what I’ve seen and know, Parkinson’s is an illness that progresses with time, and it has increasingly gotten worse in the past two years for my dad.

And that is why I pray for those struggling with Parkinson’s.

God of each movement and moment of our days,
In times of stiffness and shakes
And as bodies grow slower and slower,
enliven the souls of those struggling with Parkinson’s Disease.

Their tremors won’t end
And bodies resist movement.

As they wait for medicine to kick-in,
Walking becomes a privilege.
As muscles and nerves rebel against the norm,
Voices become soft and shaky.

Nothing is the same.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken the bodies of those we love?
Or did those bodies forsake themselves?
Why has Parkinson’s taken root in small fingers
And caused legs to be as rigid as two tree trunks.

Creative Creator –
On the days our loved ones feels like giving up
Lead them to a new path
And innovative ways to live.

As their autonomic nervous systems swirl in the sea of chaos
And their minds become a little less clear,
We ask for you to guide them in their movements forward.

Steady their feet when they are about to fall.
Smooth the emotional roller coaster that’s whirling in their heads
And lift what little spirit that remains within them.

In their corners remain loved ones-
Wives and husbands.
Children.  Grandchildren.  Friends.
God, infuse them with the energy they need
To nurse and walk alongside of those they love.

Spirit of Healing and Health,
Spirit of New Starts and Future Graces,
Open doors that have slammed shut
And give them the resurrection they desire.

May their dry bones and muscles and nerves
Dance among us once again.

It “Sucks”… Authentic Expression of Pain

22 Friday Mar 2013

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Yes, to some of you, the word “sucks” is edgy.  Some will find this word and even this post offensive.  I hope others find grace in the way they express themselves.  My intention is not to offend but to help people find words for their pain.

On Thursday’s Grey’s Anatomy, a school teacher was dealing with her ill health.  This was a teacher whose students very much viewed her in high regard and missed her when she wasn’t in class.  She would correct her students when using certain terms, like “sucks.”   But when her students left the room, it was her time to process the terminal cancer diagnosis.  In verbalizing her pain and health challenges, she couldn’t help but use a certain word: “We don’t say ‘sucks.’  But this sucks.”

Growing up, my dad always hated the use of the word “sucks.”  So it wasn’t a term we used very often.  Somewhere in the back of my head, I still think of the word as derogatory language.

But I wonder if limiting ourselves of the words we use to express our deepest pain is doing us an injustice, especially if we use them in safe spaces.  Maybe authentically expressing our grief or pain is what we need to continue moving forward or to process our grief.  Maybe this includes using terms like “this sucks” because, frankly, nothing is closer to the truth when we hurt.

When someone hits a rough point of their lives, I sometimes have nothing else I want to say except “it sucks.”  To me, there are few words that can really embrace a low moment in our lives.

I get sad when people try to edit themselves around me because they know I’m a pastor.  Instead of being authentic and expressing their emotion in real ways, they avoid using curse words or talking about edgy parts of their lives.  What if you knew that your pastor would be fine with whatever words you need to use?  Would you be more open to expressing yourself?  How would this help you move forward in your life?

Lamenting is real.  Pain is real.  What do you want to say when you hurt horribly?

When a member of your family dies or your pet has to be put to sleep, it sucks.

When you lose a job, it sucks.

When you are diagnosed with a serious illness, it sucks.

When you have lost a relationship, it sucks.

I would rather hear someone try to comfort another person with “it sucks” because saying things like “it happens for a reason” or “God has a plan” doesn’t really affirm a person’s pain.  It’s just very unorthodox for a pastor or Christians to use curse words or edgy terms to affirm one’s grief.  But shouldn’t we be real about how we feel?  And shouldn’t I sit with you in that pain and affirm your difficulties in life?

Some may think this is taking the Lord’s name in vain, but I’m not using words that attack another human or speaking horrific words on behalf of God.  I’m trying to take the pain we see in Psalm 22:1 or Psalm 88 and give it 21st century words.

And, with me, it’s always a safe space to use the words that describe the pain in your hearts.

Are you challenged by this language?  Do you agree with these words?  Voice your thoughts below.

Chronic Illness in the Body of Christ

22 Friday Feb 2013

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As many of you know, I struggle with endometriosis.  It’s an illness that causes endometrial tissue to grow outside of the uterus.  The health issue causes me to occasionally feel extreme pain around my cycle, extra fatigue and stomach discomfort.

I’ve learned how to live in pain and exhaustion.  I’ve done what I can to improve my condition including having surgery and changing my diet just so that my pain and discomfort will be minimal.

But so many people have conditions that are painful in very different ways or even completely debilitating.  Some of these include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease – among so many others.

In the past number of months, I’ve connected with many women who have endometriosis and, often, other chronic health issues.  Many work but have very limited lives beyond work.  Some can’t work at all.  There are a number of people in this country who have no health insurance.  Those who are able to see doctors are often given excuses that “it’s in your head.”  I’ve heard that many women with endometriosis are told that incredible pains are “normal” (but I’ve never experienced this myself).  Each month, these women live at a pain level of ten.  Eventually, when the pain gets bad enough, they have an exploratory surgery to see what is happening.   At that point, they are told they are infertile or need a colon resection surgery because no one listened to them years earlier.

Many chronic illnesses take a while to be diagnosed and treated.  Sometimes, there are no treatments for the aches and exhaustion of some of these health issues.  How frustrating it is to be told that there’s no solution to exhaustion and pain, except for cognitive therapy and antidepressants!

Frustration does not stop there.  They work and parent even though their bodies feel as if they are to fall apart at any moment.  If they can’t work because of the extent of their illness, many people with these chronic illnesses are told by society that they are lazy and don’t want to work.  Their pain is not believed because it doesn’t show on the outside of their bodies.  I’ve  heard one person with one chronic illness tell others that their health problem is not a “real” illness.

Because we are all part of the Body of Christ, we all suffer from endometriosis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and the entire list of autoimmune and chronic diseases.  Because we are one in humanity and one in Christ’s body, we also all suffer from diseases like Parkinson’s, MS, cancer, AIDS.  When one part of our body hurts, our whole body hurts.

So when someone  with a chronic illness is disregarded, they do not receive the dignity they deserve.  They feel even less dignity than they did when they kept their illness to themselves.

Unless we walk in their shoes, we can not understand their pain, their slowness in movement, their foggy minds and their fatigue.

As people of faith, what can we do to give dignity to our sisters and brothers who hurt?  Of course we can pray for them and with them.  We can offer scriptures, like Psalm 6, Psalm 22, Psalm 23 or Psalm 38.

But people with chronic health issues will need more than a few Bible verses handed to them.  They yearn to feel human, desire to reclaim their dignity and want to be heard.

When each and every day you wake up with another symptom or feeling overwhelming pain, you feel like Job.  You may feel that God has deserted them.  When you can’t get your health problems resolved, you feel like the woman with the hemorrhage.

So as people of faith, how can we be a support to them when their doctors and friends don’t even believe them?  Frankly, it starts with listening and praying with them so they know that someone else is cheering for their healing.  It starts with helping them sort their feelings, giving them a space to vent and cry.  It helps if you can go to their appointments with them or pick up their medicines for them – if they ask.  It begins with helping them reclaim their dignity as made in God’s image.  Our care for them includes spending time with them in fellowship; many of them can’t leave their homes or have limited energy for fun activities.  They find isolation in their illness.

And it begs for us to be advocates for their health in broken health care systems.

I don’t think God gave me the endometriosis pain “for a reason.”  God experiences pain when we do, and I don’t think of pain as punishment or a method of teaching.  But I believe God is calling all of us – those who have experienced pain and those completely healthy – to use our voices and stand with those who hurt, knowing that we aren’t alone on our journeys.