I believe I have a great support system. With God being my #1 supporter, followed by my family and friends, I have been able to make it through some rough spots.
God has been my everything. He listens. He heals. He speaks. He works wonders. He provides me with grace and mercy to make it through each and every day. Without His support, I have no idea where I would be.
My family has always been there for me. We may not get along all the time, but they have never stopped supporting me. Being that I have lupus (and now that I’m expecting my first child), they have helped me, especially on days when I was not able to help myself. Being diagnosed with lupus at 19 was a hard pill to swallow. I was used to being independent and doing whatever I wanted, when I wanted. Well, that had to change. My family was there to help me deal with the adjustments. When I had multiple blood clots (at age 21), they were there. I remember going into the hospital one day, and the next day there they were. They drove up to be with me. Their presence kept me calm during a chaotic and confusing time.
Friends make up the other part of my support system. I have had many “friends” come and go throughout my life. Which I believe is normal. There is a saying that friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. No matter what period of your life they enter or however long they stay, they always have a purpose. I have had friends come and stay long enough for me to learn a lesson or for me to help them learn a lesson. We were each other’s support. My friends who have been around for 10+ years, I believe will be here for a lifetime.
God has a way of speaking to us and supporting us through the people we come in contact with everyday. We are not meant to be on this journey called life alone. I cannot even imagine what my life would be like without the many supportive people I have in it. Without having someone who cares and loves me enough to tell me the truth, to provide a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, or a just a hand to hold. Life without the support just seems scary and extremely overwhelming!
Support Challenge
This part of the assignment was slightly difficult. With the lupus and a baby on the way, I experience many challenges daily. To add on another challenge was just difficult to fathom. But, it is part of the assignment, so I imagined my lupus going to another stage beyond just affecting my joints and affecting my internal organs. If this were to happen, I would definitely need more support in place than what I have now. Physically, I would obviously need more assistance in completing daily tasks depending on which organ(s) were affected. Emotionally, I would need therapy because at the young age of 28, that would cause me to suffer emotionally and probably sink into a depressed state. Spiritually, I would struggle with maintaining my faith and my trust in God because I would continually ask “why.” I’m sure that would only be initially because I am true believer that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. So no matter how bad the situation became, it would ultimately be for my good and His glory.
According to www.dictionary.com, support means the following:
- To bear or hold up
- To serve as a foundation for
- To sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction
- To maintain by supplying with things necessary to existence
God and every person in my support system are represented in this definition. They hold me up, serve as my foundation, sustain me, and help me stay maintained. Without them, where would I be? I am forever thankful for them, everyone I have come in contact with throughout my life thus far, and everyone else I have yet to meet.
