Epilepsy Awareness Month Day 16: Epilepsy and Religion

I have always been perplexed about Robert’s deep religious beliefs. 

Trish took Robert to church a while back

In fact, I have found myself annoyed when I am waiting for him to finish saying grace and I am starving to death.  I think it’s a little over the top for Robert to bless me every time I sneeze, cough, clear my throat or burp.

Did I say I burp?  I mean yawn. 

Since I started caring for Robert I have become more fascinated by his devotion to his faith.  It is remarkable and unwavering!  I am really in awe of his ability to have complete faith in God given the challenges he has faced throughout his life.

The other piece of this puzzle is that we were never a religious family.  We went to church on Easter (and boy did I love dressing up and wearing gloves and a bonnet!) and I went to church camp once or twice but we just weren’t very regular in our faith. 

I knew Robert became involved in church after his near drowning experience. He has told the story numerous times of God talking to him and telling him He wasn’t done with Robert yet. Of course, I believe this because even though I may not a church-going, reading the bible, bless you kind of person, I am spiritual.  

The cynical side of me is aware of the connection between hyper-religiosity and temporal lobe epilepsy but I find Robert’s beliefs too sincere not to believe as genuine and unrelated to what is going on in his brain. 

Having that fateful seizure in the swimming pool has had a huge impact on Robert’s life and I believe that is what compelled him to have a complete devotion to his faith and to God.  I don’t know that Robert would be so devout if a seizure hadn’t struck at the moment it did, leaving him in a coma.

Robert’s near-death experience and unwavering beliefs leave me awestruck. It seems to bring him such peace and it is obvious that he wells up with emotion when talking about praying for people and spreading the word of God. 

I have seen many church-going people – heck, even some pastors – who don’t quite have this passion and complete belief in their faith. 

Robert’s conviction and inner peace inspires me. 

In the clip today, I try to find out a little more about what his beliefs mean to him.