Today I welcome Chasity Strawder to Finding Faith When Struggling with Why. I found myself identifying with statements like exhausted from getting up and getting knocked back down again. If you’ve ever had one of those seasons, you know what I’m talking about. Chasity had one of those seasons, but in the setbacks she was drawn back to Jesus. I pray her story gives you hope if you’re walking in one of those seasons of setbacks.

A Setback is a Setup for a Comeback

2021 was the year of my dreams. I was excited about my new venture of running for the city council. I planned to start my door-to-door campaign in the spring.

In early February, I had difficulty getting out of bed. I was dizzy, nauseous, and lethargic. I called my doctor for an appointment. She asked me a lot of questions and ordered tests. I could not wait to crawl into bed by the end of the day. All I wanted to do was sleep.

This was definitely a set back!

To my surprise, my test results were normal. I was puzzled. My doctor assumed I was just depressed. However, I knew I was not depressed. Something was wrong with me. Why was I not heard?

Researching my symptoms on the internet, I ran across an article about adrenal fatigue. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I took notes from the article, and I called my doctor again.

To my dismay, she still believed I was depressed. I left the office fighting tears and feeling hopeless.

After a few weeks of feeling worse, I made a phone call to seek an alternative practitioner who would listen to me. After a comprehensive examination, the new doctor confirmed that I was suffering from stage 3 adrenal fatigue. She emphasized the need for rest, supplements, and adequate nutrition.

Yet, another setback!

My heart sunk into my shoes. I knew I was not physically strong enough for a rigorous political campaign. At this point, I was barely able to handle housework and the care of my family.

My doctor told me it would take 3-6 months for my adrenals to heal completely. It was vital for me to let go of any stress and focus on my healing journey.

It was easier said than done. My body was in a vulnerable position. I was also struggling with hypothyroidism and the side effects of menopause on top of the adrenal dysfunction. I took around 8-10 supplements a day and kept up with a diet protocol. Eating healthy was not new to me, but I quickly became tired of taking pills.

My healing journey was full of complications such as food allergies, gut issues, insomnia, and drug interactions. After a couple of months, it became more challenging to reach my new doctor. She was only working part-time.

And there was yet another setback!

I made a hard decision to start looking for another doctor. I was scared due to my history of connecting with doctors who did not believe I knew my body very well. I needed someone who could keep up with the severity of my health issues.

I cried out to God for wisdom and direction. I FELT UNBELIEVABLE PEACE after I raised my head from my tear-stained pillow.

I logged onto my Facebook account, and I noticed an ad for a functional medicine doctor in our area. I do not believe in coincidences, but I believe in divine setups.

I called the doctor’s office and made a virtual appointment. Extreme anxiety overwhelmed me about starting over with a new doctor.

Although after the appointment, I felt confident about getting back to optimal health. The downside was the out-of-pocket expenses. Our insurance would not cover ANY of my medical treatment.

I sat before the Lord to seek his wisdom again. I wanted to be sure I was not making a mistake. This treatment was a huge financial sacrifice for us. I felt myself being overwhelmed with the unknowns.

Could this be the beginning of a comeback?

After a week, I called the doctor with my decision to move forward with treatment. Because of the complexity of my health issues, he did not put a period on how long it would be before I felt well enough to resume a normal life.

The first step was completing bloodwork that would test over twenty functions of my body. The results took about two weeks to come back, and I was nervous about the results. At the follow-up appointment, the doctor sat across from me with a concerned look on his face. The news was not good. Adrenal dysfunction was only a tiny part of my medical issues.

I had numerous infections in my gut, and my thyroid levels were too high. My liver was clogged, and my detox pathways were blocked.

Deep sigh. The first item of the treatment plan was a detox for 21 days. It was September, and the detox would complete the week of my 46th birthday.

I had to drink 2-3 nutritional shakes a day and take six pills for liver support. To say the experience was terrible is an understatement.

After completing the detox, I felt like a new woman with new energy. I felt normal for the first time since the beginning of the year.

That normal was short-lived. I was crippled again with brain fog, nausea, and severe fatigue by the end of October. I was also depressed to the point of a breakdown.

Another setback, really?

I was exhausted from getting up and getting knocked back down again. I found myself calling a crisis center in our area to speak with a counselor. The counselor encouraged me to make an appointment for a mental health evaluation.

At the end of the worst week of my life, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to attend a nearby church. I had not been to church in a long time due to being on bed rest.

At the end of the service, prayer warriors stood in front of the pulpit to pray with people who came up for prayer. I was reluctant to ask one of them to pray for me. I stood up quickly and started walking toward one of the prayer warriors. She asked me for my prayer request. I closed my eyes as we agreed in prayer for my situation.

I cannot explain in detail what happened, but I felt the hand of Jesus heavy upon my head. I felt HIS presence in my chest and my stomach. Weeping, I fell to the floor.

Some other prayer warriors came over and prayed over me and shared their messages from Jesus. I felt burdens rolling off me. I was overwhelmed with love, peace, and comfort.

The most important message I received that day was not to give up. I cling to that hope as I await the physical manifestation of my healing.

This year has taught me about holding on and letting go. I have learned about letting go more than anything. Letting go of the past, letting go of my timeframe, letting go of who I thought I needed to be, and letting go of mindsets that hinder my growth.

I have learned how to hold onto God’s love for me, HIS peace as my anchor, HIS rest when I am weary, and HIS wisdom when I have run out of answers.

This is most definitely a comeback!

For most of my life, I have placed the needs of others before my own. I have often done what others wanted me to do. However, I have now learned the true meaning of rest.

Now I am doing what’s best for me. I can say no without guilt or shame. The rest of what I cannot do is in God’s hands.

Setback after setback after setback after setback was exhausting. However, in those setbacks I was set up for a come back–a come back to Jesus moment where my life was changed from people pleasing to Jesus pleasing. A moment when I learned I was worth taking care of myself.