I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - a disease diagnosed by the omission of other diseases. If that doesn’t make sense, then this will…
I feel exhausted all the time. If I am physically active for 5 minutes, I have a physical and mental breakdown a few hours later. This sucks as it gets in the way of being the father and husband i so want to be. And the worst thing about it is that no-one really understands what you are going through. So you go to the doctors and they do tests and tests and more tests. You spend thousands of dollars and it all amounts to nothing as all the results are “normal.” They cross out diseases like cancer, diabetes, and brain clots one by one until they have nothing left. Then they slap you with the title, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.”
On top of that also, I have suspected Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from an assault I suffered 12 years ago. I have written about this here and here. I say “suspected” because to be officially diagnosed with PTSD, you need to have a memory of the traumatic event. Twelve years on from my assault, I still don’t know what happened. But my body does.
Anyway, Mark Driscoll has just released part three of his series, “Death By Ministry.” This session focuses on stress - something I can definitely relate to. You can check out the video below or visit the site here where he talks about some of the conditions causing stress.
For all you Pastors and Servants in the Church, my lay advice is to remember what Jesus said about the Vine. We are the branches that need to connect [and abide in] to the Vine. When we do this, the Father does good work through us. This is the best antidote against stress and burnout. Now I just gotta figure out how to play this out in reality.
Tags: Death By Ministry, Mark Driscoll, Ministry, The Resurgence, Stress, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
I have read both posts, i can’t watch the video b/c my sweet husband is asleep right here. I’m so sorry. I pray that you will have the healing you so desire and that your wife and children will have the restored you- the created you- the real you without this crap you have to deal with.
I can not relate to what you have experienced. I’m honest about my own stress disorders though. However, meds have really helped me. I pray that you’ll be led on the path that makes the difference whether that is through divine healing, divine provision, or both.