I heard this pithy little comment recently in an audio book. I’m a bit sceptical of one liners but the more I thought of this one, the more I think it is applicable to anyone suffering chronic conditions. The problem with this comment is that it’s such a personal and private reflection - nobody else needs to know.
The main problem with suffering is that I don’t know how much suffering I can handle….until I have to. And because it’s such a private matter, very few other folk know my limit boundary. But I know - and that matters.
It matters because not only does it make me realise how long I have to cope with my situation, it reveals to me how I cope with my situation. For me that matters, not from personal pride, but for all I know the one observing me may well be in a similar situation. And feeling completely alone - in every sense of the word.
Introducing me to myself has at times, been a gritty experience, often when I’d rather do something else. I can’t avoid it though, none of us can. For me it’s the most careful way I can see where I need to be, rather than where I am now. The Pastor of my church often says, “with your trust and faith in Christ, your worst day is not your last day”. And in that truth, I keep going.