Maree's Story
As a little girl I loved creating and making my own jewelry. I loved sculpting pots out of muddy clay I scavenged from our creek banks. And I loved dreaming up entrepreneurial ideas hoping someday I would stumble across “The One Idea” that could start a business. Little did I know that those three interests would later turn into an incredible full-time job. But a lot had to happen before LauraMaree Essential Pendants LLC would be formed…..
A few years ago, my life took a dramatic turn that made starting a business unimaginable. I was struggling with significant health difficulties including food intolerances, fatigue, thyroid problems, sleeping problems, hormone irregularities, depression, brain fog, and anxiety. I went from being an energetic extrovert to an overly fatigued introvert. We sought help from doctors. I changed my diet, but still the symptoms persisted. Then two years and many prayers later, we found the root of all these symptoms. I had Lyme disease.
Those years were by far the hardest in my life to date. I have so many journal entries saying “I just want to die” or asking “Why God?” At the time, it felt like all my suffering was useless. The pain felt too hard to endure and I couldn’t understand why God would allow me to go through something that made me want to die. I knew I couldn’t get through this without Him, but at the same time I often doubted His goodness and faithfulness.
In the very beginning, my family and I decided we wanted to take a natural approach to treating my Lyme disease. Through a series of miraculous connections, we found out about a Lyme specialist in Idaho who had extremely successful results with his patients. Dad, Mom, and I made the first trip out to Idaho a few months later. Since then I have been back 3 other times. Those months following my treatments were some of my all-time worst because of the way my body was detoxing from the Lyme.
A haircut I got sent me through the roof with anxiety because my brain couldn’t handle change. I had eating issues due to my body being unable to get nourishment from food I ate. A supplement I was taking caused me to be so angry I would rip up paper and kick the garage cement wall to let off steam, even though I had no other cause for the anger. I cried for hours and would sink into deep depression. On the day I was graduating from high school I remember thinking, “there’s no way I’m going to this ceremony. I am going to have an anxiety attack on stage….” And all this happened because of the Lyme disease.
It was during this season that I was introduced to my first terra-cotta essential oil diffuser pendant. On my pendant I wore lavender essential oil to calm my anxiety and protective essential oils to help keep me healthy. I was amazed by the benefits of wearing essential oils for aromatherapy and I loved wearing my necklace so much I decided I wanted another. This time I wanted to create my own unique and beautifully artistic pendants. Shortly after this, my Aunt Laura, a talented artist and graphic designer, was given a kiln. We both dove in and began sculpting, painting, and firing pendants.
Remember how I asked “Why God?”. He has graciously shown me so many reasons “why” since then. If I had not had Lyme, I wouldn’t be able to relate to and comfort people suffering with things such as depression, anger, and anxiety. I wouldn’t understand the significance of a healthy lifestyle. I wouldn’t know so many of the wonderful people I know now through “Lyme connections.” And if I hadn’t been touched by Lyme, you wouldn’t be reading this because there most likely wouldn’t have been any LauraMaree Essential Pendants.
But those still aren’t the most important answers to “Why?” Here are the most important answers:
One: God works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Even when we don’t understand His plans, He is working behind the scenes orchestrating trials we face to work for our good, whether we can see it or not. I’m here to say He has and still is using my Lyme for the good in so many ways.
Two: His grace is sufficient…for His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is through weakness that we realize our “human strength” is inadequate to face life’s most difficult trials. And that’s when we find the ultimate source of strength: God Himself. So many days I have felt simply too weak, mentally and physically, to make it through. Those are the times when I realize how badly I need Jesus to help me through each day.
Three: God’s love never fails (Psalms 136). He loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus to earth so that we could be healed of the worst death causing disease of all time: sin. The Bible says, "by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Because Jesus died on the cross as payment for our sins, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Jesus is my true Healer and I have peace and joy knowing that in heaven I will enjoy an eternity with Him where there is no more disease, no more suffering, and no more pain.
My prayer is that you will be inspired and challenged by my story; the story behind LauraMaree Essential Pendants!
Blessings,