Lesson from State College, PA

Published by Angela | Filed under Personalities

On March 26 I had the privilege of speaking at the North Central Ladies Spring Celebration in State College.  One of the women at the event felt that she had found the answer to why she had depleted her adrenal glands — she had lived with a mask and worked a highly stressing people centered job for most of her life.  Her “fight or flight” response was depleted leaving her unbelievably fatigued.  She felt that what she had learned about the personalities that day had given her the reason for this depletion and might serve as a warning to others to find out who they really are and live within that personality.  Here’s her letter:

Dear Angela, I have not forgotten my promise to give you my testimony including my medical condition, for your blog. I must tell you I wept all the way home and the following week, Praising God for using you that day of the conference. As I had told you it was like receiving a life-giving part of the puzzle that I really needed. 

For twenty five years I was worked at a job that sucked the life out of me.  I just kept on until I couldn’t work anymore. Last year when all the jobs ended and I had much time off alone and with no pressure, I began in earnest to seek and cry out to the Lord in so many ways. My whole family is goal oriented, perfection driven and people pleasers as our parents were, except for my sister who is more of a “life of the party” girl.  I have taken the personality profile test and while at one time I would have placed me in the powerful choleric, I now understand I am really a perfect melancholy. Yet the job I was doing required me to have more of the Sanguine qualities and work with people all the time.  I realize now that I was being stressed and drained by my job.    I read the definitions and what the masking really means for the personality crossovers. It has meant so much to know that I can be the person God has called me to be.  One of my favorite parts of the Bible has always been the Psalms.  So often Ifeel like David and when I cry out to the Lord as he did, He always brings me comfort. 

My journey these last two years have been a hard soul searching thing to learn who I really am. I have cried out that question and for His plan for the rest of my life so many times. I may not know all those answers yet, but after the conference I feel better able to trust myself and my decisions and in Gods plan for me. It has also helped me to understand what has happened to me physically. When some one is really operating outside of the personality type, as I was, it can bring to your body serious health issues as it has with me. About eight years ago I was suffering from severe fatigue; I went through all the normal tests and nothing. I did not even fit the “Chronic Fatigue:” Syndrome pattern. At that time I was seeing an endocrinologist in

State College. He is very good, but he felt it was my thyroid, which again did not fit the profile. I was working in

State College at the time (in a very stressful environment) and I was just exhausted at day end. During one of my visits’ (where I felt like one of the women in those magazine stories”), I said something that finally got his attention. I used to feel as though I was going to literally crash from fatigue.

 He ordered some tests and found that my adrenal glands are deficient and my Fight or Flight response is gone. This means I will have to take prednisone for the rest of my life. I need to wear an emergency ID in the event of an accident. As the doctor explained it to me, since I called so often on my every day stressor’s it has caused my emergency response to become depleted also. 

Some days are better than others and the medication helps me to function with less fatigue, but your adrenal glands do not restore themselves, so I have to always take the medication. If we look close enough we can find other medical conditions that relate to our not working in God’ plan for us, Only He can help us to be all we are meant to be as both Christians  in our home and our church and in the workplace.  Another word that was spoken over my husband and I this week, by a prophet is that we are not too old and that God does have plans for our lives, which include children.  Since I do not think He meant as Sarah and Abraham literally, He will reveal it to us in time. Whatever that may be I am so grateful to the people he has placed in our lives, the church He has led us to, to heal and the loving Pastor and his wife who shepherd us! GOD IS GOOD ALL-THE TIME!!  May the Lord continue to bless your ministry greatly! Your’s in Christ, Barbara J. Bratton PS – my heart is full of love for all that He has done