Stolen/Postponed by Migraine

I’ve been thinking about this post for a long time, but also nervous about writing it.

That’s the problem with migraine.

It’s just a bad headache – man up and take some pills.

It’s a woman’s problem – man up!

Migraines don’t really care how they strike, but since Spring 2021, I’ve been living with what has been diagnosed as Chronic Migraine.

And my main experience of migraine is that it steals things. Steals time, from me, but also from and with my family. Steals rest – turning the bed (again, having lived with Depression) into a place of suffering and pain rather than somewhere to go and rest. Steals balance – forcing my wife into a full weekend of parenting alone, and wondering if her husband is ok, when she should have me alongside her, making jokes and trying to help. Steals church – I had to step down from a service role at our church recently, when I realised that every month I’ve meant to have served, I’ve been in bed and silent, painful. Doing nothing. It also steals community – both from church specifically, but also more generally, meaning it becomes a trite excuse (Tom is not going to turn up) rather than a problem to ask prayer for, and help for.

Migraine steals things.

Migraine also postpones things. Things I’d like to do get delayed because I miss key dates and deadlines. Things I’m working on are slowed down because a migraine unfortunately coincides with a key meeting or an opportunity. And Migraines regularly mean that something I planned to write, hoped to write, have been chipping away at for months, and think is important, doesn’t get finished. Migraine postpones things.

Some of the things that Migraine has postponed are some blog pieces, some bits of writing that I really believe in, but have had to can in order to fit other things in. As that list grows, I’m asking for help from readers – let me know in the comments which of the below would be most useful. As I seek to integrate writing, rather than just reading, into a life under the pressure of Chronic Migraine, parenting and other things, it would be helpful to know what would actually help actual people. Thus, this list:

• Reading the Bible in a Year: 2023 Commentary Reflections [I’d planned to write this in December!]
• Reading the Bible in a Year: some scattered reflections [as above – a bit wider]
• Book Review: Biblical Critical Theory [a longer review of a long book!]
• Reading the Bible with Migraines
• Book Review: Psalms [EBTC]
• Towards a Kingdom Theology of Trustees
• Book Review: The Gospel of John [David Ford]
• That’s Not My Evangelicalism!
• Book Review: Hebrews [EBTC]

I don’t know if I’ll get round to or be able to write any of these – but I hope to. Please do leave a comment if one would be more useful than another.

And please do pray.