“Tell me about yourself.”
I panicked as I glanced at the clock. Our meeting was set to start in less than two minutes. How could I satisfactorily describe myself in such a short amount of time? At a total loss for words, I nervously asked the man, “What would you like to know?”
“Anything. Whatever you want to tell me.”
“Okay. . .” I uttered as I attempted to quickly craft my life’s summary statement. “I grew up in the hospital.”
That’s life with CLOVES Syndrome. I grew up flying to Boston for surgeries, spending my days in Dallas hospitals, and learning to live with a syndrome we cannot “fix” or “cure.” That’s my life. That’s what it means for me to live in a world that is longing for restoration.
Romans 8 tells us that creation suffers and groans, waiting to be set free from the bondage of decay. And we, too, groan alongside creation as we ardently long for redemption. We feel the suffering and sorrow of the here-and-now, yet we look ahead toward our coming inheritance as children of God. We persevere in hope, growing in the midst of the groaning.
My name is Lindsey Johnson Edwards. I’m a seminary student with an interest in studying suffering, disability, and flourishing. I spend my days reading and writing papers, oftentimes working on my research as I sit in hospital waiting rooms. I carefully study and interpret passages like Romans 8, but I also know what it’s like to experience them — to groan in suffering, to be at a loss for words in prayer, to wait and endure in hope. I’m a wife, daughter, sister, friend, and hopefully someone you can relate to as you read pieces of my story.
With love,
Lindsey