Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (KJV)
Welcome to the Invisible Illness Pharmacist—stories of illness, healing, and faith!
The Bible verse above can serve as a guiding principle for our lives. As Christians, we face trials that challenge our faith. We are supposed to be patient during the trial, continuously praying, and remain hopeful. Those are strong words to live up to when hopeless situations occur as illness destroys your body, mind, and spirit. Faith begins to diminish while doubts and fears silence your prayer life. You are left wondering where God is and if you are left to fight your battle alone. Have you ever felt this way?
Remaining patient during trials in our lives is a virtue. It is a virtue that at times I do not have. I lacked patience when visiting emergency rooms, hospitals, and specialists. The responses from healthcare professionals were always the same: “We can’t find anything wrong; it is all in your head.” I was already fatigued. I attended each appointment with no answers while watching my health continue to decline. Eventually all hope was gone. I felt desperate, and I knew deep down that if I did not find treatment, I was not going to survive. This process spanned approximately 1.5 years. My patience was nonexistent.
In addition to the lack of patience, continuing to pray was also a struggle. There was a time span before my illness when I was not praying for people who were sick. I had seen my prayers go unanswered, and one person, with cancer, passed away. I felt that my prayers for people with illnesses were empty and in vain. To clarify, I did not entirely stop praying; I stopped praying for people who were sick. Not praying for those battling illnesses all changed when I became ill myself.
Consequently, continuing to pray became the key to hope by finding a Lyme-literate doctor. The search for a Lyme-literate doctor was difficult since there were none in my area. I sought out a doctor in a neighboring state, but the wait was over a year. A practice in Florida had openings, but again, there was a several-month wait. The location with the shortest wait time was Jemsek Specialty Clinic in Washington, D.C. Even then, the wait was still two months. I sat down and prayed the simplest prayer, “God I am sick. No one is helping me. I need a place that knows what is wrong and will help me. I cannot keep living this every dayand waiting. Please help me get to where I need to be.”” Within an hour, Jemsek Specialty Clinic called to say they had a cancellation. I could have an appointment the following week. I accepted that appointment and cried deep tears of relief. To this day, I say that Jemsek Specialty Clinic was an answered prayer. I saw a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long time.
I tried to remain hopeful while fighting a physical and spiritual battle. The first appointment at Jemsek Specialty Clinic was the beginning of a long healing journey. For five years I endured the Lyme treatment protocols developed by Dr. Joseph Jemsek whileunder the care of his physician assistant Rachel Markey. During those years, I received pulsed protocols that onsome days included as manyas five different antibiotic medications all taken at the same time and combined with herbal medicines. Also, I received 6 months of pulsed IV antibiotics combined with oral antibiotics and herbal medications. The treatment took a physical and mental toll as I survived nausea, vomiting, weakness, and weight loss.
While the years of antibiotic treatment were ongoing, I fought a spiritual battle as well—a struggle of being too weak to pray and seeing no end in sight. Sometimes, my prayers were just a few words. “God help my heart to keep beating.” “God let me live to help my family.”
Thankfully, I was not alone in fighting my prayer battle. Many people prayed for me, and a few people became my prayer warriors. Additionally, my church gave me a bowl filled with written prayers, which I still have. The church members took the time to write encouraging words and their prayers on note cards. I posted the prayer cards so you could read a few and see what visible prayer looks like.
While invisible prayers have the same impact, it is uplifting to visibly read the encouraging prayers from others when you are sick. Reflecting on the cards, they tell a story of the people in my life who loved me enough to pray for me during my battle. Some of those individuals are no longer living. Others were children when I was sick and are now married adults with families. Presently, some of them now sit beside me at church on Sunday.
Beyond those visible written prayers in the prayer bowl, there is an incredible story of continued prayer. The prayer group extended beyond my own church. There are people I have never met at churches I have never attended who have prayed for me. You may have been one of those people who prayed for me unknowingly if you ever asked God to help the weak. With great sincerity, THANK YOU to anyone who ever prayed for me.
Finally, you do not have to send someone a physical bowl of prayer. Still, people who are suffering from illness need encouragement. One way to show others thoughtfulness is by writing your prayer down and giving it to them. It does not have to be on fancy paper or stationery. The outward appearance does not matter, but what you say does. Write it on whatever paper you have available and give it to them to read. When they visibly see that you care enough to pray for them, they will be encouraged to continue their path of healing.
See the link below for uplifting Bible Verse coloring sheets designed by an independent artist and sold on her Etsy shop. This link is not a paid advertisement. I am not receiving any money affiliated with this link. It is a way to promote an independent artist’s work.
Reference
King James Bible. (1769/2023). Romans 12:12. In Holy Bible (King James Version). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Romans-12-12/