Dark Side and Reality of Living Afflicted as a Christian
I am alone a lot, and it is not by choice. People don’t choose to isolate, not even autistic or mentally ill people. God didn’t create us to be alone. God created the Church as a community of believers to love one another and bear each other's burdens.
Love
Does your autistic child love you? For the past several weeks I have wrestled with my childhood memories. Did I love my mom, dad, or siblings as a struggling child? I remember fiery anger filled me as a child. My Pop-Pop Franck wondered why I never hugged him goodbye. As an adult, when I reflect on this, I feel regret about many of my other childhood behaviors.
Suffering
The Wednesday before Christmas, I had a procedure intended to relieve my ear fullness. I had tubes put in my eardrums. For the past several years, I have been suffering with hearing loss and ear fullness. This procedure went well but my hearing got worse. I felt like I had ear muffles on.
Five Things on My Christmas “Wish List” as a Mentally Ill Christian
1. End the stigma of mental illness in the church community.
2. Continue to seek belonging in the church community.
3. Continued support of my family, friends, and the church community.
4. Not be judged for my mental illness or symptoms.
5. Be able to find joy during the Christmas season.
12 Things During the Christmas Season
If you can offer this kind of love and grace to those who really need it, yet may not be capable of returning, you will not only make a difference in their lives, but you will also grow to be more like Christ! Not a bad trade off!
Debrief - Part 1
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 9:35-36
Belonging = Access
Why is mental illness so stigmatized in the church?
The Nouthetic counseling movement emerged in the church during the 1960s and ’70s as a reaction to psychological theories and approaches to mental illness that appeared in many ways to be in conflict with traditional understandings of Scripture, especially behaviorism and the moral relativism that runs throughout Rational Emotive therapy. According to the Nouthetic view, as articulated by Jay Adams, mental illness in the absence of a clear organic cause is a manifestation of personal sin. That view still holds significant influence in many of our churches. - Stephen Grcevich, MD (Biblegateway Blog)
Belonging > Inclusion
“The confidence that God is mindful of the individual is of tremendous value in dealing with the disease of fear, for it gives us a sense of worth, of belonging, and of at homeness in the universe.”
— Martin Luther
50,000
50,000 Americans took their lives in 2022. 50,000 tragedies that whisper in shame for all affected. One in four suffer with a mental illness, and many suffer in silence and isolation. Mental illness is the disease of the lonely. Some are seemingly fulfilled with friendship, success, and love, but it is an illusion, a façade thin as veneer on the surface. Bubbling under the surface is torment and exhaustion to keep the façade from crumbling.
Trip Debrief
The orphans with disabilities had so much fun with all the activities. Pray that we continue to have involved caregivers as we move to different rooms of children each day.
Challenging Verse: Luke 10:2
Luke 10:2 is about the mission field and serving; those with mental illness can’t see how they are a part of God’s mission. God loves us so much that He wants to include us in His plan - missions. God doesn’t need us for His plan, but we need God. We foolishly think He needs us, but His plan will happen with or without us. How do the mentally ill participate in missions?
International Children’s Day
June 1st was International Children’s Day. This day was part of the 1925 Proclamation in Geneva at the World Conference on Child Welfare, to bring awareness to serious abuse, oppression, and depravity of children. Today, millions of children are malnourished and exploited, especially those that are disabled. These children are a blessing from God, but unfortunately, our churches are not welcoming places for these families.
Challenging Verses Series: Philippians 4:6-7 (and many other verses)
There are many verses on anxiety in the Bible. These verses can be incredibly difficult for those afflicted with mental illness because of the misunderstanding of the clinical definition and Biblical definition of anxiety.
Let’s End Awareness and Begin Acceptance
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Although awareness is a good thing, it is time to move on to acceptance. One in four suffer with a mental illness, and most Americans are aware of mental illness.
Challenging Verses Series: Psalm 119:11
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. – Psalm 119:11
In my last blog on challenging verses, I talked about Spiritual Fruit and abiding in Christ. To be able to abide in Christ, we need to know His Word.
Mission Brief
I traveled to Gdansk Poland on March 15. I met an amazing new friend, Nancy. She invited me to share with her home Bible Study groups on a future trip. What a small world: Nancy knew Lon Solomn from Jews for Jesus, and she encouraged Julia to attend McLean Bible Church. What an amazing God we serve!
Challenging Verses: Galatians 5:22-23
Galatians 5:22-23 are difficult verses for Christians afflicted with mental illness, especially Bipolar, but these verses are so misunderstood by many. We may arduously strive all our lives to…
National Children’s Craft Day
Today (March 14th) is National Children’s Craft Day. This day could have been established by my mom. She used crafts to keep me busy, because when I had too much free time, trouble always followed me.
Love: Learning and Allowing
Emotions are a strange labyrinth within a rabbit hole for Aspies. Often, we struggle with the interpretation of social cues, missing jokes as the room fills with laughter.
How to Love Someone Afflicted with Mental Illness?
Mental illness takes a toll not only on the sufferer, but on everyone around them. Stigma and shame make it very difficult to find…