ENCOURAGE - EQUIP - EMPOWER
IT STARTS HERE.
I had the pleasure of meeting Susan about seven years ago during Bible study. Our group grew close quickly as we studied Ephesians and Philippians together. It didn’t take long for our friendship to be cemented and for us to share deeper about our lives. Somewhere during those first years of Bible study together, Susan began to open up about her mental health. Her courage and boldness while recounting her journey with bipolar disorder inspired me.
It seems every time we turn around there is an “awareness” day or month. It is difficult to keep up and many of us don’t try. We can’t acknowledge everything so we just give up any effort. I think many of us fear that if we are aware of something we will be required to do something about it, so we just turn a blind eye. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I encourage you to take this month’s call to awareness seriously because it affects millions of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members.
A little over six years ago, I was blessed with delivering two healthy identical twin boys. Unfortunately, a few days later, my son Dylan was admitted to the NICU for issues with breathing and blood sugar levels. During that time as I was alone in my hospital room with my other son Kyle, he became a little fussy. I knew I was unable to stand up to rock and soothe him as my C-section incision was still tender.
There are several reasons I have for believing in God, and one of them is my high school junior year track season.
Looking back, I still don’t know what compelled me to sign up for the team. I’d never been gifted or really interested in the athletic department, but I had long legs and good lungs and running seemed like something I could do. I had visions of crossing the finish line in a blaze of glory with Katy Perry’s “Firework” playing in the background. (It was 2011 and that was the tune of the times.)
This week I was called to task about an admittedly thoughtless comment I made about a year ago. It was not difficult for me to see how insensitive my comment was. I completely owned my offensive words and made no excuses. The person rejected my apology and chose to hold onto the hurt. Of course, I was disappointed by their response and wanted to beat myself up over it -- after all, I had been wrong!
My quarantine baby is about to be 1!! Born at the start of shut down, his arrival was very exciting, but not necessarily in all the usual good ways. I can hardly believe it’s been a whole year! First birthdays in our family are fun, big, celebratory parties that include our large family as well as friends.
I have been fortunate enough to witness and experience various formats of prayer, each unique and beautiful in their own right. All entered into for the same purpose, communication with God, and to achieve a personal relationship with Jesus. When we understand this foundation, prayer becomes a powerful and sacred gift.
Have you ever sat around a bonfire with friends late into the night? Every once in a while someone adds an extra log or pokes the pile with a stick to keep the blaze alive, but inevitably there comes a point when it’s time to let the fire die. The flames slowly shrink until there’s nothing left but the red glow of embers, and your fingers and toes quickly begin to feel the difference. If you stay out for too long, even the blanket you’re wrapped in won’t do you much good.
The first thing that was destroyed when sin entered into the world was man’s relationship with God. Genesis 3 talks about the Great Fall -- “…I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid” (Genesis 3:10). Despite the disobedience in the Garden of Eden, God still loved Adam and Eve but did not hesitate to call out their sin.
Do you ever feel like you’re running on fumes…or perhaps completely empty?
I imagine we have all experienced seasons where the reserves are running dry and we have nothing left in the tank.
Just over a year ago, I was in one of these seasons. A period of feeling like I was driving in circles, stuck in a perpetual NASCAR race wondering, “what’s the purpose...what’s my purpose?” I was discontent and burning out fast. That’s when my crew chief (Heavenly Father) called for a pit stop. Did I make it into the pit in time? Not quite... God had a literal pit stop in mind.
