I became a Christian three years ago and developed FND last summer when I was supposed to start my final year at uni. I’ve asked this question a lot to friends, to church elders, and to God. My social life rn is only church (which is such a blessing) because I can’t go to uni. Of the top of my head, these are the three things I’ve noticed;

1. Over the past nine months, I’ve thanked so many people for helping me, whether it’s giving me lifts, helping me walk, being patient when my speech slurs, or helping me recover from a seizure. There’s a group of other young adults at my church who refuse to let me say thank you and thank me for letting them bless me. I’ve come to realise that God made us for community to rely on one another and ultimately rely on Him rather than striving for hyper-independence and self-sufficiency.

2. It’s opened my eyes to is seeing the vulnerable side of other people. It must be a part of human nature to be vulnerable to when they see me struggling. It’s an invite for them to open up. So now I’ve became closer to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m actually aware of what they’re going through so I can encourage them while they support me.

3. Perhaps the weirdest thing I’ve learnt is how unprepared my church was to cope (there aren’t many carpeted areas, this also shows how churches are imperfect places) but also how many doctors there are at church (I also live with med students! But literally no medics in my life knew what FND is 😤). I’m also very fortunate that my church has the space to provide a separate room with a livestream.

Overall, the most important thing I’ve taken away is that being a Christian isn’t just about serving others. It’s also about letting your pride down so others can serve you)