Today I met with my bishop at the church I attend. What is a bishop you ask? Well, here is what LDS.org has to say on that manner. A man who has been ordained and set apart as the presiding high priest for a ward, or congregation. He has overall responsibility for ministering the temporal and spiritual affairs of the congregation.
For a long time it seems I was not getting the help I felt I needed. I had people insist I couldn't be sick because I looked just fine. I had days where I felt as well as a person with Fibromyalgia can feel, and other days I feel like a semi truck ran over me a few hundred times and while I lay there dying vultures came along and started in on me already. Sometimes, I can go from one extreme to the other in a matter of hours instead of days.
I have learned how to put on a smile and make everything seem OK even when my world is falling down around my ankles.
I have learned the best answer to How are you? is to answer I have been better, and I have been worse. This way I am not seen as a complainer or whiner. I am just stating facts in a simple clear cut way. On really bad days I answer; "I am unbelievable" For the people who don't really care about me they assume I am doing pretty good and so go on their merry way. For those who do genuinely care about me they assume I am having a pain free day. So what does unbelievable mean? Unbelievable means it really is unbelievable how much pain a person can endure."
Anyway, back to my meeting with my bishop. I had written things down I felt he and other leaders in our church should know about people with disabilities. We talked about it, and he seemed to really be concerned and listening. He asked if he could keep the paper I wrote the stuff down so I wouldn't forget the things I felt were important for him to know. I agreed, and then asked why he wanted to. He said he wanted to talk to the other leaders of the church so they get first hand knowledge of what it's like being a person with a disability.
For the first time I really felt like someone really understood. It turns out He has a sister in law who has Fibromyalgia. He says I know how you feel only as much as I can watching someone go through this, but to really know what you are going through I am sorry I don't. It was real refreshing to hear someone admit they don't know what I am going through.
We worked out a plan that whenever I get in a bad way I will call him and tell him that I need help. Thank you Jerry Lister for being not only a great bishop and confidant, but also a great friend.
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