Who Do You Call?
When you need help you normally go to your inner circle: your spouse or mate, your family (if you have any reliable), and your close friends. But when you struggle with someone within your inner circle, your resources of 'who to go to' becomes a smaller world.
Back to the post... and present day. When I awoke, my head hurt slightly and I felt weak. I wanted to talk with a sister in the Lord, to be encouraged, prayed for... but the ones I called didn't work out and it feels funny asking for help.
If your close friends also struggle with life also--having ups and downs heavier than most (which is common for people in healing/recovery that their friends also have been through painful life situations) it doesn't always feel right to share and unload. They have their own issues and sometimes are barely hanging on themselves.
Each of us need solid resources of people who aren't generally susceptible to periods of depression, grieving or just plain not functioning well. But these 'normal' people are the hardest to develop a 'knowing' helpful relationship with because truly they want to help but they somethings don't understand. And then, many really don't want to help because they don't want to get involved with such ups and downs.
OF COURSE: We always have God, and He is not a last resort, but our ever present help to fills us, direct us and encourage us on in the best choices and eventually the deepest level of having someone who knows and understands everything.
And still, God didn't place us on the earth and leave us here to be isolated. We need each other. One is a teacher, another a pastor. One is full of mercy, another rich in the ability to pray. One is a giver, another a strong administrator/organizer. One is a prophetic voice, another is a helper. But so often his children function together like a deformed body. A bunch of fingers cluster together or worse a bunch a broken finger cluster together without any hand, thumb or arm. Where is the rest of the body?
God ministers to us through each other!
This is the work of the church/His body. To function in love for each other and (as a whole, healed, and loved) to then, be able to evangelize and 'be Christ body'--an incredible expression of love--to the lost of the world. I cannot get that simple old song out of my head...they will know we are Christians by our love - by our love - yes, they will know we are Christians by our love. This love is first demonstrated toward our total life focus of God being everything and then the way we minister and help each other.
People love to rejoice with praises. We have no problems sharing that we are doing good, expect that it may hurt a wounded soul who thinks they might never get to experience such freedom and joy in this life. In this we must be sensitive and encourage and pray with those who are still deep in the belly of woundedness. We are the ones (those of us who find healing) that are able to reach out a hand and lift a fellow sojourner out of the pit--see we are the hands and feet of God.
But when the ones who have been "doing well" feel life tumbling, when we take a spill, when we are under attack, we so desperately need those who are drawn by God to help others that have not bore the wounds of intense mental/emotional pain. As the Holy Spirit is our private come along Spirit, God intends for his children, indwelled with the Spirit, to function like Him and to be able to come along side a weaker sister or brother to walk with them through intense hurt.
"What do you need?" is a great place to start.
Take the answer seriously, no matter how little or how big. Ask God what YOU can do to help meet this need and if YOU can find someone better equipped to help. But remember we are called to love one another. Love is not self-serving. Love is an action that often does what other need but what you would rather not be doing. Love puts aside selfish wants and pleasures and causes us to sacrifice.
You will never imagine how much each little way you assist can help the big picture.
We weekly commit to serve in a church-- to give of 2-3 or even more hours a week--but how often are we willing to weekly serve and meet needs of a wounded brother or sister in their home--coming to their ground zero instead of asking them to come to the church. The work is great, the need is great, but the laborers are so few. If you are able body, ask God. If you are in need, ask God. Let Him match the need to the worker who is willing to labor in love, as though caring for Christ Himself. Be sensitive to others, and when you are well seek out those who are 'ill,' wounded or hurting and bring them to health in God. This is the Holy work of God, to love your neighbor as yourself because you so love God. And more importantly He LOVE you!
I have been struggling some the past few days... honestly I had one of the most violent panic attacks two day ago. A migraine set in rapidly. It hurt so bad I couldn't even think - literally. And then I got nauseated. After vomiting over and over, I was still reeling from pain in my head and something led me to run a tub of water. My body was all different inside, I could feel temperature changes - flushing and chills rolling through. I slowly lowered myself into the tub and tried to call. (By the way, somehow I took two bayer aspirin my go to pain killer and let one klonipin melt under my tongue). As I laid still, I let my mind float and in a way allowed my body to become one with the water.
Slowing my body began to regulate, I first sensed the headache decreasing. Still, no moving a muscle, I rested. My head slipped down to the water level muffling the sounds.
(A little funny: Joel would come in and out of the bathroom checking... my ears were under the water. He called out to me gently, and I just laid there. Again, and again. Then he raised his voice and called my name and I shook awake... I laugh because he says it scared him, but he didn't know my ears were muffled by the water. Angela and I had a good laugh later!) Listen you got to find the laugher!
I had to rest in bed for a day or two ... so drained. The weekend has been hard. Some of my support has disconnected.
Back to the post... and present day. When I awoke, my head hurt slightly and I felt weak. I wanted to talk with a sister in the Lord, to be encouraged, prayed for... but the ones I called didn't work out and it feels funny asking for help.
If your close friends also struggle with life also--having ups and downs heavier than most (which is common for people in healing/recovery that their friends also have been through painful life situations) it doesn't always feel right to share and unload. They have their own issues and sometimes are barely hanging on themselves.
Each of us need solid resources of people who aren't generally susceptible to periods of depression, grieving or just plain not functioning well. But these 'normal' people are the hardest to develop a 'knowing' helpful relationship with because truly they want to help but they somethings don't understand. And then, many really don't want to help because they don't want to get involved with such ups and downs.
OF COURSE: We always have God, and He is not a last resort, but our ever present help to fills us, direct us and encourage us on in the best choices and eventually the deepest level of having someone who knows and understands everything.
And still, God didn't place us on the earth and leave us here to be isolated. We need each other. One is a teacher, another a pastor. One is full of mercy, another rich in the ability to pray. One is a giver, another a strong administrator/organizer. One is a prophetic voice, another is a helper. But so often his children function together like a deformed body. A bunch of fingers cluster together or worse a bunch a broken finger cluster together without any hand, thumb or arm. Where is the rest of the body?
God ministers to us through each other!
This is the work of the church/His body. To function in love for each other and (as a whole, healed, and loved) to then, be able to evangelize and 'be Christ body'--an incredible expression of love--to the lost of the world. I cannot get that simple old song out of my head...they will know we are Christians by our love - by our love - yes, they will know we are Christians by our love. This love is first demonstrated toward our total life focus of God being everything and then the way we minister and help each other.
People love to rejoice with praises. We have no problems sharing that we are doing good, expect that it may hurt a wounded soul who thinks they might never get to experience such freedom and joy in this life. In this we must be sensitive and encourage and pray with those who are still deep in the belly of woundedness. We are the ones (those of us who find healing) that are able to reach out a hand and lift a fellow sojourner out of the pit--see we are the hands and feet of God.
But when the ones who have been "doing well" feel life tumbling, when we take a spill, when we are under attack, we so desperately need those who are drawn by God to help others that have not bore the wounds of intense mental/emotional pain. As the Holy Spirit is our private come along Spirit, God intends for his children, indwelled with the Spirit, to function like Him and to be able to come along side a weaker sister or brother to walk with them through intense hurt.
"What do you need?" is a great place to start.
Take the answer seriously, no matter how little or how big. Ask God what YOU can do to help meet this need and if YOU can find someone better equipped to help. But remember we are called to love one another. Love is not self-serving. Love is an action that often does what other need but what you would rather not be doing. Love puts aside selfish wants and pleasures and causes us to sacrifice.
You will never imagine how much each little way you assist can help the big picture.
We weekly commit to serve in a church-- to give of 2-3 or even more hours a week--but how often are we willing to weekly serve and meet needs of a wounded brother or sister in their home--coming to their ground zero instead of asking them to come to the church. The work is great, the need is great, but the laborers are so few. If you are able body, ask God. If you are in need, ask God. Let Him match the need to the worker who is willing to labor in love, as though caring for Christ Himself. Be sensitive to others, and when you are well seek out those who are 'ill,' wounded or hurting and bring them to health in God. This is the Holy work of God, to love your neighbor as yourself because you so love God. And more importantly He LOVE you!
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