ME: What Hope? (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS)

[love83forever]

This sounds like me...I also have hashimoto's

[GetWellFromME]

@ChronicFatigueSyn Thanks, I loved it there!! (And what use has the Engineering degree and all that study been to me?!!! :p ) I played violin, not regularly, but occasionally in a couple of orchestras and at church sometimes - now playing violin is something I haven't got back to at all... yet! ;)

[SheWhoFeels]

Thank you! You have been a Voice for many. Like you I was very driven in my studies & future goals. My illness destroyed all that. I am so happy you are doing better now! You are a Ray of Light for many w/ severe protracted illness, suffering all the more in having a poorly understood underlying pathology. To those who say it's in our heads, I can only say: Look to history. Many diseases recognized today were once disregarded as psychosomatic. Keep fighting the good fight! <3

[GetWellFromME]

@SheWhoFeels Thank you, you're right, it's absolutely *not* all in our heads, or imagined, or even exaggerated. I do believe that emotional factors can be just a part of the trigger in some but not all cases, but that doesn't change the fact that there are real physiological things going wrong in our bodies which are serious, horrible and disabling. All the best to you :)

[anrive89]

Thank you Giles - another excellent speech to help people to understand.

[GetWellFromME]

@anrive89 Thank you :)

[shoshiplatypus]

Part 3 - ... sickness is something we may not be able to avoid, but we can choose to use it for good - to build character, patience and hope, to bring us closer to God as we depend on Him more, and to give us increased compassion for our fellow man in his suffering. Visit Joni Earekson Tada's website and read her articles about life as a quadriplegic for a mature Christian's approach to suffering!

Mayu the Lord bless you in your continued work on all our behalf.

Shoshi

[GetWellFromME]

@shoshiplatypus Thank you Shoshi, you're so right, most of the so-called church seems to have lost the ability of discernment, and it's easy to get swept into the teaching and famous "preachers" who seem to keep quoting the Bible but without the truth of what it means, or who say "peace, peace" when there is no peace... I guess most of us are more affected than we think, by existentialism, individualism, and materialism, hence the popularity of "kingdom now" ideas, -instead of what Jesus taught.

[shoshiplatypus]

Part 2 - ... that much of the modern church is overly preoccupied with physical healing, which puts tremendous burdens on those who do not get well despite prayer, faith, etc. It reflects badly on those who pray for them and they find that hard to deal with, so tend to apportion blame on the sick person. The Bible teaches that we live in a fallen, flawed world, and that suffering is inevitable until Jesus returns and restores all things to an Edenic state. In the meantime... Cont.

[shoshiplatypus]

Part 1 - Thank you once again, Giles, for your straightforward, honest approach to M.E. You should be on the BBC at peak viewing times, spreading this message that the medical profession and ordinary people need to hear - and the media too, who are responsible for propagating much misinformation about our condition and making it harder for our families to understand the truth.

As a fellow-Christian, I go along 100% with what you said at the end of your talk. I am concerned, however... Cont.

[Aparajita1008]

Thank you Giles for all that you are giving and sharing. The truth about what it is to live day to day with ME.

[GetWellFromME]

@Aparajita1008 Thank you - I still sometimes find it too horrible to think about how ill I have been... and to think of millions of others suffering :(

[limbrooke83]

Thank you, Giles, for giving such a wonderful speech and sharing it with all of us. I appreciate all you do. Keep up the great work, and remember to take care of you. :)

[theonlyfluffyone]

thank you giles : )

[Afrikitty]

2.

In the 25 years that I have dealt with M.E., I have had people say the unkindest things to me. "You don't have enough faith to be healed!" I am sure you have heard them all. On THIS website I have had a "Christian" woman blurb out all my medical information all over the place - a woman I once loved as my own daughter. May God have mercy on her.

The Lord Jesus Christ said:

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; AND HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT." - John 6:37

[shoshiplatypus]

@Afrikitty Oh, I sooo identify with this. Of all the "well-meaners" who make inane comments about my M.E., my fellow-Christians have consistently been the worst. I had a man pray over me once, asking the Lord to cure me of my "sickness of the soul" ("all in my head!!!"). I've been told I had a demon, and someone else told me I was ill because I was harbouring unforgiveness in my heart. Most of the Christians who are understanding are the ones who are, or have been, ill in some way themselves.

[Afrikitty]

@shoshiplatypus Your friends are GROSSLY Bible illiterate. Remember what the Scripture says, my dear: "...but we have the MIND OF CHRIST." - 1 Corinthians 2:16. How dare these posers and pretenders to the throne of grace say that to a child of God.

The Bible says:"For in him (Christ) we live, and move, and have our being;" and "but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and THAT WICKED ONE TOUCHETH HIM NOT. Acts 17:28 and 1 John 5:18.

They are haters of the brethren, be sure of that.

[shoshiplatypus]

@Afrikitty Oh, I so agree with you!!! One of the major concerns in the true church today is at the general level of Scriptural illiteracy in the church and beyond. The unsaved world at least has something of an excuse ("how shall they hear without a preacher?") but within the church it is inexcusable, and worse still for the leaders to have so abandoned the Word of God. Yes, it hurts when people say stuff like this, but I hang onto Jesus and His Word!!!

[GetWellFromME]

@Afrikitty Thank you for your words. It is heartbreaking when Christians (and people who call themselves Christians) can say the most hurtful things. I do believe God is faithful, but people who expect promises of "perfect health" or "prosperity" in this world don't seem to understand the same gospel of the Bible that I see. Suffering is not "judgement" or "lack of faith", but we can trust God for what we have but don't see, and for what we don't have yet but is promised.

[Afrikitty]

Giles,

There is a Scripture in Job that says: "But the eyes of the wicked will fail,

And there will be no escape for them; and their hope is to breathe their last." - Job 11:20.

This is a tragedy for those who have M.E. and do not stand on the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have no hope in this world and no hope in the next. Most often it is they who take their lives and in the process jump from the frying pan, into the fire. I am glad to hear you preach the peace of Christ.

cont...

[TheLibra2767]

Brilliant vid of you talking raising awareness of #MECFS need more people like you. I am launching an internet radio station new year and one of the main reasons is it to raise funds for various charities,including #MECFS maybe you'd like to interview about #MECFS would be great to have you on. ;)

[GetWellFromME]

@TheLibra2767 Thank you, yes that sounds great! Let me know all about it when you're close to launching it!

[finette4444]

Thanks Giles for your continuing awareness raising. Great talk and great video once again. Well done. Keep on with the good work.

[GetWellFromME]

@finette4444 Thank you! :)