BY: Eddie Tatro
The altar at Grace Episcopal Church, Camden, SC, USA
I am now age 45 and have been disabled since I was 21 and permanently disabled since 40. Oftentimes, many people lose their faith when confronted with the challenges we face. However, that wasn’t the case for me. I did question God and my faith but never lost it. Before we go any further, dear reader, there is a book that I highly recommend that you read that helped me when I questioned God. It is written by a rabbi who lost his son to a rare condition. “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Harold S. Kushner.
I’m a Christian who belongs to the Episcopal Church. I came to the Episcopal Church from the Roman Catholic Church after trying various other Christian churches. It is where I feel at home and the Holy Spirit at work. I’m very active in my faith and church. I sing in the choir (I’m a bass), and I’m preparing to take steps to become a lay minister of the Eucharist.
I look at what Jesus endured for us during his final days, the torture he went through on that final day for all humanity, and the power of his resurrection from death and the grave. This gives me incredible inspiration to help me get through each day. In John’s Gospel 19:30, Jesus says, “IT IS FINISHED!” Of course, he was speaking of the events and prophecy, but I also feel he was saying to us in our faith that our tortures are finished and dead.
I lean on the Psalms, Parables, and the Holy Rosary. With the intercession of our Blessed Mother and the rest of the community of Saints, each day is lighter than the day before.
You don’t need a deep faith for it to help, either. Even when my faith was no bigger than that proverbial mustard seed, I saw great things!
My faith doesn’t take away my illness, but it sure does help me manage them and help me get through each day. I circle back to Rabbi Kushner’s book When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Go check it out at your local library or get it on Amazon. It is an excellent book and guide for one’s faith.
I hope you enjoy the photographs of the stained glass windows from my church, Grace Episcopal Church in Camden South Carolina USA.
Visit The Grace Episcopal Church Website!
Eddie is 45 and lives in the Midlands of South Carolina. He has two children and three grandchildren. Eddie enjoys writing on various things, he dabbles in short stories and poetry. He is a medically retired paramedic. He is diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Psoriatic Arthritis, Allodynia, Bipolar 1, General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, PTSD, GERD, IBS-C, Hypertension, Hypothyroidism, Migraine Disorder, Degenerative Disk Disorder, and Stroke Survivor (x2). Learn more about Eddie on Our Contributors page.