Yes, these are words from the George Michael hit “Faith” released in 1987, but no, I’m not talking about the same subject. In the song, Michael is singing about needing self-belief and strength to walk away from a shallow, tempting relationship, choosing to wait for deeper love rather than settling for a physically-driven connection without true devotion.
When I use the phrase “You Gotta Have Faith”, I’m talking about faith in God.
With Myasthenia Gravis, sometimes things can look pretty hopeless. While we have medications that help control or limit symptoms, it is a progressive disease for which there currently is no cure. Because of that, those of us who have it spend more time than we should thinking about how it will affect us in the future. Will we have a myasthenic crisis? Will we end up in a wheelchair? Will we one day feel so fatigued that getting out of bed becomes impossible?
Those are all concerns, but the good news is the majority of people with Myasthenia Gravis go on to lead full lives. Their symptoms are either well-controlled or don’t progress to the point we once spent a lot of time fearing.
There is no magic elixir or treatment regimen to assure our symptoms won’t progress. Exercise, a healthy diet, and getting plenty of rest help, but they won’t guarantee success. In other words, there really isn’t anything we can do on our own to control how this disease progresses. Even caregivers can’t make any guarantees. That’s why we worry about the future and that’s why MG is just as much an emotional disease as it is a physical disease.
There is a place we can find relief from worry, however. We can turn to God. When we put our faith in Him, our burden gets lifted. Knowing we are in God’s hands helps us handle anything that might come our way. We just “Gotta Have Faith”.
God doesn’t promise to remove all our challenges in life. In fact, He even warns us that we will face them. What He promises is that He will be there for us if we come to Him. He will lift that burden of worry if we only give Him the chance to do so.
When I feel myself getting down, I try to find a quiet place with few noises and no interruptions. My safe place is my bed. I get under the covers, get nice and warm, and then block everything out of my mind as I begin talking with God. Notice the emphasis on the word “with”. I try not to talk to God, but rather talk and then listen to hear if I get a response. I’ve not yet heard God’s voice in a reply, but I often feel it. When I’m troubled and I talk with God about my burden, my burden doesn’t seem as heavy. He lifts it from me.
That doesn’t mean I spring out of my bed and jump right back into life. It means when I thoroughly think about God’s power and mercy, I know I’m in the right hands. God is so much more powerful than any of our troubles. He’s more powerful than any disease.
So, if God is more powerful, then why doesn’t He just heal us or do away with a disease once and for all? I believe it’s because God uses challenges to help strengthen our faith. I truly believe He has a reason why He is allowing us to be challenged, and it’s up to us to recognize that challenge and do something with it.
Before you ask, no, I don’t believe God inflicts us with diseases as punishment. Disease, like sin, comes from dark places. While God has the power to eradicate both sin and disease, He’s not ready to do so just yet. One day He will, but for right now He allows us to make choices, He allows us to get sick, and He sees how strong our faith really is by whether or not we turn to Him.
I also believe He wants us to use our challenges for a greater good. I believe He wants us to be a beacon, share our stories and to help others with our experiences. Remember one of my previous blogs where I talked about how Fernando Mendoza’s mother, who has MS, taught him that “Toughness doesn’t have to be loud. It can be quiet and strong.” That’s sharing what we’ve learned for the greater good. That’s why I write this blog. It helps me share, and in doing so, hopefully I will help someone else who is struggling.
Just remember “You Gotta Have Faith”. That’s the proper treatment for MG or any other debilitating condition. Trust in Him and He will take care of you.