quote:
Originally posted by Eagle Heart:

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One of the difficult things I have had to deal with during any depressive bout is the inevitable “crisis of faith”…why does God let me suffer like this…God has abandoned me…God is punishing me for not being good enough, for not praying enough, for thinking bad thoughts…God has given up on me, like everyone else in my life…I’m too far gone, damaged goods, beyond redemption.
I think anyone who has suffered from any form of chronic illness - depression, cancer, arthritis, you name it - has come against this type of faith crisis. The "I'm being punished because I didn't eat properly, take care of myself, do this or do that"...If I believed more, prayed harder, I'd be healed...

and whether or not we're struggling with this ourselves, guaranteed some well intentioned soul within the faith community will point it out to us.

Perhaps we need to learn more how to best offer support and compassion, without offering judgement and solutions - and I guess that could be said for a lot of situations, not just illnesses.