I felt ashamed. There was so much to do last night, and there was no time to waste. I didn’t have time to run out of gas. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I keep going? Then the epiphany: there is nothing wrong with a car that runs out of gas. The problem is being out of gas.
Whenever a group or congregation is talking about mental illness, there is a tendency to want to help the helpless. We are the powerful ones who can make a difference. As a result of my years of counseling, I saw myself as weak. But over the last year or so, the language I use about my ability has changed. I am no longer weak. I am resilient, remarkably resilient.
When you begin thinking about your help for mental health in your church, the best place to begin is with the invitation, which will show you what kinds of preparation you need to put in place.
Part of addressing mental health in the church is to ask, “Do people feel okay about having mental health needs? Can people handle being the helped instead of being the helper? Can I be okay with being a leper?”
When I feel frantic and broken, insecure and alone, God meets me in that place, tells me that He loves me and tells me it is good to be my Father.
I am happy to carry another person’s brokenness while I am with them. I can believe for them. I can advocate for them. I can help them, but only if they are willing to work harder than I am.
Christians can talk to their psychiatrist about their depression, who can they talk to about their spiritual identity crisis?