“Can I help you?”

“How are you ma’am?”

“Good…How ‘bout you?”

“Pretty good…Listen, we just came out to ask if you’ve got some sort of well pump or something that would make a big spewing kind of sound…”

“Well, no. We don’t have a well and I can’t really think of any sound like that around here. Why?”

“Well, is there anything out here that would let off steam or hiss or…” (at this point, the officer make a big sound)… “PSHHHHHHH!”

“Well, sometimes when I am jogging out on the road, I think my air conditioner is a bit loud, but why? Did someone send you out to see if I have a well pump?”

“Well, actually not a well pump. Actually (pause…pause) somebody reported that you have a meth lab.”

“…Excuse me…but did you say ‘a meth lab?’”

“Yes ma’am. A meth lab.”

“Sir, would you all like to come in my house?”

“Well, really ma’am…she didn’t think it was in your house. She says you are running a meth lab in that little cottage. She pointed straight to that little house in your back yard.”

“The cabin?!! She thinks we’re running a meth lab in the cabin?!”

(See, at this point, the conversation was getting to be very surreal to me. This was starting to seem like something from a bizarre dream, where you wake up and think, “Oh wow! That was weird. Why’d I dream that?”)

“Yes ma’am,” he responded, jerking me back to strange reality.

“Well, then do you want to come in the cabin?”

“Well, ma’am, we can tell this is not going to be a drug bust. In fact, we’re really sorry we scared you. It’s probably a little unnerving when we drive up. I guess the main thing now is…well, we’re kind of concerned about your elderly neighbor back on the street behind you. She’s pretty sure you’re running a meth lab. In fact, she fell in my arms and got all emotional when she realized I was going to come check it out.”

“You mean she cried?”

“Yeah. Do you think you could maybe keep an eye on her—maybe go and check on her and make sure someone’s looking after her. She could have had a stroke or she might need some medical attention. I’m not a doctor, but maybe she needs to go see one. Something’s just not right.”

“Yes. I will see about her. Maybe I can find out if she has kids and if they are checking on her. I’ll try to put her closer neighbors on alert and make sure they keep an eye out. I’ll take her a loaf of bread and check on her myself, too.”

“Hello. I’m your neighbor.”

“Did you say you’re my neighbor?” she said with a hard stare.

“Yes ma’am” I’m the one… you know with the cabin… where the sheriff came out yesterday?”

“Thank the Lord!” she said with a great sigh of relief in her voice. “Thank the Lord they did! Why on earth are you running a meth lab, anyway?”

“Oh Ma’am. I’m NOT running a meth lab. I don’t even know how to run a meth lab and I surely don’t want to market any meth.”

“Well, how do you explain that terrible, awful smell that comes from that cottage down there?”

“Well, I haven’t smelled anything, but what does it smell like?”

“Well, I never smelled anything like it before…It’s a strong and very terrible smell. I mean it’s awwwful! It’s just sickening.”

“Well, I really don’t know what you could be smelling.”

“Well, if you don’t know anything about it, you had better ask your husband!”

“Well my husband isn’t running a meth lab, either. My husband is a good man.”

“Well, he may be a good man, but still…”

“Well, ma’am, I have a good idea. Why don’t you let me walk you out to my car and you can go down to the cabin with me and you can go in and see for yourself.”

“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I have a hard time walking and I’m in poor health. I don’t think I want to do that.”

“Well, then, I don’t know how I can make you believe that our cabin is just a little guest house. It’s just extra rooms…you know…for people to come and stay.”

“Well, who’s staying there now?”

“Well, nobody at the moment. It’s just for guests, you know.”

“Oh, well I have extra rooms, too. I know what extra rooms are for.”

“Well, I guess I’ll be going along now, since I’m not convincing you.”

“Yes. That would be very good. I wish you would.”

“Well, here’s some chai and the directions are right on this little card. It’s really good stuff.”

She eyed the jar carefully and said, “No I won’t keep that. You just take that on back with you.”

“Well, will you at least keep the card so you can call me in case you need something?”

“Well, I’m fine,” she snapped. She took the little card and gingerly held it between the tips of her thumb and forefinger, as if it were a bomb ready to detonate at the least little jiggle. “I don’t need a thing.”

“Do you have children who come to see you often?”

“Oh yes. My son looks in on me every day. He takes good care of me and I am just fine,” she said, with an emphasis on the “I”, as if to intimate that it was I who needed someone to “look in” on me.”

“Well, goodnight then.”

“Good bye.”

1. There are some things that are simply beyond my control. Perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul said, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:8). Sometimes, for various reasons, it is just not possible.
2. Sometimes people have a false sense of security. This woman kept reiterating to me that she was “just fine.” Sometimes, just as she thought she was physically and mentally sound, people think they are spiritually “just fine,” when, in reality, they may be very ill. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Rev.3:17,18).
3. Sometimes people refuse the very help they need the most. What can you think of that this woman really could use more than caring neighbors who are willing to look in on her and see to her needs? Yet this is the very thing of which she is most afraid. Often, people need the Lord and his people desperately, yet they fear the commitment, the changes and the holiness that will ultimately save their souls.
4. Often, people make the evidence fit their hypotheses rather than making their hypotheses based on the evidence. I’m quite sure that this woman’s “evidence” was fabricated by some sort of dementia. But, in spiritual matters, we often let our preconceived ideas lead the evidence rather than allowing evidence to lead our ideas.
5. I can’t ever tell what a day may bring (Proverbs 27:1). I must be ready to face the challenges of life, whatever they may be, head on, with faith, each day.
6. The Golden Rule never leaves me wondering—how to treat the elderly, how to treat the misguided sheriff, whether or not to contact this woman’s son, etc… It’s universal in its applicability and it’s very easy to figure out its demands. This comes in very handy, especially in situations that are reactive (where you have to give a reasonable response very quickly) rather than pro-active.

So, anyway…what in the round world?

Of all the wondrous aspects of worship God has given us, I have to say my favorite is worshiping Him in song. When done right everyone is included, everyone is together, everyone is one mind, one body worshiping the almighty God in love and spirit. When not done right, our soul is not edified and God is not glorified. Now, when I say “not done right”, I do not mean that the song was too high or too low. I also don’t mean that the song leader was off key or that a rogue soprano was screaching so loudly it threw everyone off! Singing “not done right” occurs when our minds and our hearts are not fully engaged. God is not honored when we sing “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” while our minds are mentally choosing which restaurant we’ll dash off to after the last “amen”. When we sing, “Oh How I Love Jesus” and our minds are drifting to the scuff we just noticed on our shoe, how did it get there, maybe it’s time to go shoe shopping, hey maybe I should run to the mall later, oops…”because He first loved me!”, we have missed an opportunity to sing of our love for Jesus.  Our worship is a shadow of what it ought to be when our hearts and minds are not fully engaged, and God is not glorified to the extent He deserves.

Do we fully grasp the beauty of the hymn “A Common Love”? In a world of discord, hatred, and division, this song truly exemplifies what the Lord’s church ought to be, and oh the bliss when we fulfill God’s vision in John 17:22-23, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one…” When we’re singing in worship, we are to be one organism, with one heart and one purpose, connected by the divine, common thread of our love for God. We share a common love for each other, our song is a common gift to the Savior, and we are connected by a common bond of Christian love holding us to the Lord. We are strengthend with a common strength of God’s love when we’re weary, we share a common hope for tomorrow that no man can ever take away, and we share a common joy in the beautiful truth of God’s Word!

In a world that loves to scream at the top of its’ collective lungs that there is no God, I always feel spiritually empowered when we sing, “Our God, He Is Alive”. This is a hymn that shouts our faith from the mountaintops, hushing the enemies of God. This is a hymn that lovingly shines a light to those in darkness, lost and afraid. Yes, there IS a God! Yes, He is very much alive! And it is in Him that we live, and through Him that we survive! To those who are weary, this hymn is a celebration of faith. To those who are weak, this hymn gives strength! Go ahead world and cry your empty cries of disbelief, we know that there is beyond the azure blue a God concealed from human sight. This God, whose Son upon a tree, a life was willing there to give, that He from sin might set even you, oh athiest, free, if only you will turn to Him. For there is a God, and He is very much alive!

Life can be difficult. We have our ups and we have our downs. Certain hymns can  help cheer us through the storms of life. I remember being smack dab in the middle of a howling storm of doubt and fear, when “Standing On The Promises Of God” really struck a deep cord with me. It reminded me that I could prevail, by the living Word of God! God was with me! His promises are firm and never fail! There is no stronger ground to stand on than the firm foundation constructed upon the enduring promises of God. And you know what? One day that howling storm did pass. During my storm, this was a very melancholy hymn, but after the storm, it became a declaration of thankfullness and relief that by the living Word of God I DID prevail, and oh how thankful I am for His promises.

It is during life’s storms that we can also grow in appreciation of “It Is Well With My Soul”. Life is wonderful when peace, like a river, attends our way. But there are times when sorrows and sea billows will roll. We are truly blessed when through faith, we can honestly declare that in times of both peace and sorrow, it is always well with our soul. And once the storm passes and peace is once again restored, that peace will be so much sweeter, and our faith will be that much stronger. I love how the song shifts from earthly sorrows to the cross. Our sorrows cannot compare to the sorrows that Jesus must have felt as he, along with my sin, was nailed to the cross, and because of Him I bear my sin no more, praise the Lord! Oh then we can look to that blessed day when faith shall become sight. Oh ladies, can you just imagine? The clouds rolling back upon themselves like a scroll, the trump of the Lord sounding, and Jesus Himself coming back to take us all home! May I ever live my life that I’ll always be able to declare this is VERY well with my soul!

The next time you are worshiping with your brothers and sisters, truly look at the words you are singing to the King of Kings. Sing with all your heart, and sing with understanding. Your worship will be enriched, even if you sing off key! And if the song leader leads the song slow, well that just gives you more time to contemplate the words! Our songs are our offering to God, and He deserves our full adoration.

Songs cited:

Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah by Wm. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh How I Love Jesus by F. Whitfield

A Common Love by Charles F. Brown

Our God He Is Alive by A. W. Dicus

Standing On The Promises by R. Kelso Carter

It Is Well With My Soul by H. G. Spafford

Karla Sparks

As a child, I was fascinated with fairy tales. My wild imagination eagerly soaked up those rich tales of magic and adventure. There was one fairy tale, however, that made me frustrated and uncomfortable, The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. It was so incredibly frustrating to me how so many people, longing to be seen as wise, would willingly, blind themselves to common sense. The townspeople, the palace court, even the king himself, were fully entangled in the lies of that tricky tailor who didn’t care about anything but making money. Oh that moment of sweet clarity when one child cries out, “The king is naked!” The crowd pauses, takes a step back, and allows the simple truth to ring out. The pretense is gone, the false charm is broken, and common sense wins again.

As an adult living in a world full of sin, I often feel like that child declaring that the king is naked. Sadly, the worldly crowd delights in the frenzied whirlwind of chaos and sin, drowning out common sense. Somehow abortion isn’t murder, it’s health care for the mother. Somehow science is thrown out the window and instead of two genders, people declare we now have a smorgasbord of more than 50 genders from which to pick and choose! Our modern world teaches that the only existing sin is opposition to whatever debauchery our fellow humans choose to flaunt. The world has thrown up this insane forest of lies, insanity, twisted logic and corruption. This forest is then fertilized with hatred and mockery, and woe to the person who tries to navigate this forest in search of truth and logic. I believe it’s time to take a step back, waaaay back, away from the specific issues, and get to the root of all the problems. Let’s take a basic look at that ugly word: sin.

In the beginning, God created everything and called it good. Man originally had one rule: don’t eat from one tree. Adam and Eve could eat abundantly from every other tree, but that one tree was to be left alone. Instead of remaining at peace in their abundance, Adam and Eve allowed their desire for the forbidden fruit to become entwined with the lies of the serpent, and paradise was lost. One little rule, that’s all they had. Today we tend to rate sins on a scale of “not so bad” to “hideously, horrendously awful”. I mean honestly, what would you rate eating a fruit? Would you equate eating one fruit with murder, or would it be more like a “little white lie”? Oh, but God saw it differently! God knows that sin is corruption of something good, and our loving Creator wanted to shield us from corruption. God warned Adam in Genesis 2:17 that the penalty for eating one little fruit would be death. DEATH!!! Today we suffer the same penalty for our sin, death! No matter the pedigree humans give the sin, it all leads to death.

Ahh, but we have a merciful Creator who took pity on His weak-willed creations and altered that death sentence. He would allow man to place his death sentence upon an animal, thus sacrifice was born. It seems logical to me that the very skins God used to clothe Adam and Eve came from the first animals sacrificed in their place for their sin. How awful to daily clothe yourself in the very reminders of the life lost for one “little” sin.

There was, however, one problem with sacrificing an animal in the place of a human. God created man in HIS image, how can the death of an animal truly take the place of the death of a human? Here’s where Jesus came in! The Great I Am, taking human form, came down to live with the beings he helped create, and allowed them to cruelly and viciously torture and murder Him. All because of one little fruit. One. Little. Fruit. And it is only when we are “clothed with Christ” through baptism that God recognizes His Son’s perfect, ultimate sacrifice for sins WE committed and forgives us. (Galatians 3:27) Is there a small sin? Would you call a sin that killed the Son of God small? Neither would I.

So God calls us to live moral lives. Don’t kill people. Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you.Sex is only allowed within the bond of marriage between a man and a woman. Why do you think God made these rules? Was He just trying to ruin our fun? Imagine living in a world where everyone is a Christian and all couples wait until marriage to have sex. Imagine a world where all couples took their marriage vows with proper reverence and utter commitment. Imagine all children being raised in a loving Christian home, such as they deserve. What a beautiful picture! Alas, we live in a world that loves to distort this beautiful picture. In fact, the world not only corrupts God’s plan, it then tries to turn it into a jigsaw puzzle of choices. “I’ll take this piece with the daddy out and replace it with another mommy.” “Hmm, this puzzle piece with the baby I willingly created makes my puzzle look too busy, so let’s throw that piece away”. In the end, none of the pieces fit together, there are gaping holes, and it’s all a giant higgledy-piggledy mess. Then the world wants to hold that chaotic jumble up and have everyone applaud them for doing such a great job! Every puzzle has a puzzle maker, and that maker has one design for that puzzle. Likewise, God has a plan for us, reasons for His rules, and no matter how loud the world wants to shout that His rules don’t matter, they will ALWAYS matter!

So how does this fit in with my earlier analogy of the Emperor’s New Clothes? We need to see all sin as evil. We can’t shun the teen girl who just found out she was pregnant while indulging the gossip who is tsk-tsking about the situation. We can’t decry the homosexual agenda while quietly excusing rampant fornication disguised as a “love story”. And we can’t bemoan the evils of abortion while we hold on to hatred in our own heart toward someone who wronged us. It’s time to call out all sin for what it is, to strip away the twists and lies of the devil and hate it all. When we don’t, we run the risk of being a hypocrite in the eyes of the world. Yet with our hatred of sin, we do need to remember to love the sinner, because without love, we become a “noisy gong or clanging cymbal”, and no one wants to listen to that. (I Corinthians 13:1)

If our merciful God sees death as a just penalty for eating a piece of fruit, then we need to understand just how awful every single sin is to Him. We need to see sin through the eyes of God, and only then will we realize just how naked we all really are. It’s time to let truth ring out and for common sense to win once more. I think our world just might be hungry for a little common sense coupled with some “truth in love”! (Ephesians 4:15)

Karla Sparks

This confession may make me seem a little bit shallow, but I’ll admit it: it has always been important to me for my husband to think I’m attractive. I love when he looks at me, and likes what he sees, and tells me. After 33 years of marriage, though, I know he’s seen plenty of bad and ugly to go along with the good. I have gone to some pretty dumb lengths to “hide the ugly” from him, and even more so recently because it seems that the older I grow, the less control I have over my appearance. My hair is having a midlife crisis and has decided it wants to be both curly and a different color. My dad’s crazy eyebrows are trying to reincarnate on my forehead, and I have become one of those flush-faced ladies in the freezing church auditorium, desperately fanning with a handful of attendance cards. There’s more, but I’ll spare you those embarrassing details!

But recently, too recently, I realized something. Annoyed by something insignificant one day, I caught a glimpse of my face in a mirror. It exposed a very unattractive me, the me that John sees and knows more than anyone else, and it turned a mirror on my soul. That mirror revealed that while I may have hidden some of my external ugly from him, I wasn’t making much of an attempt to conceal (or eliminate) my internal ugliness, and that particular ugly is 100% within my control. I realized that the effort to camouflage my physical flaws was absurdly inconsistent with what I know to be truly attractive to my husband, and to my God. I saw that it was impossible to be attractive when I am pouting, or unforgiving, or being selfish, or a myriad of other conspicuously ugly attitudes. This is true of my behavior before my friends and family—and the world, as well. It seems that it isn’t just the mouth that “speaks out of that which fills the heart,” (Matt. 12:34) but the face does, as well.

Have some of you faced this same problem? I think it can happen if we are more influenced by the world than we are by His Word. We have to remember that what is valuable to God is so different than what we often value. He considers our heart, not our appearance (1 Sam. 16:7). Our attempts to improve our appearance (or, for that matter, our worldly position…or intelligence…or possessions) is not important to Him, but an inner heart that is devoted to Him, with humility and modesty reflecting that devotion, is of great value to Him (and will soften a husband’s heart, 1 Pet. 3:1-4). Much of Matthew 6 is about hypocrites who give, pray, and fast so that they will be noticed by others. Being noticed was their treasure, and “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” (Matt. 6:21). What I’ve come to understand, though I’m still working to remember, is that when my heart belongs to God, I’ll truly want my actions and attitude to reflect His glory, not mine.

The honest truth is that every single one of us can be genuinely beautiful when we come to the realization that there is no makeup so magnificent nor any gold so brilliant that outshines or outlasts the attraction of a genuinely kind, respectful, compassionate, forgiving woman whose soul has been saturated by the word of God. Indeed, the most beautiful women I know may not be beautiful at all in the worldly sense. But they are difficult to see with worldly eyes—because their mind is set on things above, not on earthly things, and they are hidden in Him. That is genuine beauty: the kind that my husband will see, but more importantly, the beauty that my God sees, and loves.

by Carla Moore

She sang in a trio and recorded several songs. She went to see John F. Kennedy in Fort Worth on the day he was assassinated. She once worked for the Federal Aviation Agency and was also the secretary at the McCarty Student Center on the campus of Southwest Texas State University. She proofread and typed many articles on an old ribbon typewriter and indexed library books and answered correspondence, but more importantly—she listened to, studied with, fed and counseled hundreds of college students. She spent many hours with lonely elderly women at local nursing homes and visited with others in their homes. She hosted a weekly Bible quiz at the local nursing home, developing relationships and spiritually influencing the staff and patients there. She was the church secretary for many years, and still journals daily, deftly uses her computer and sends text messages. She thoroughly knows and faithfully uses the Word of God. She tenderly cared for her mother, who had Alzheimers’, from 2000 until her death in 2014. When her husband, my father, began his own journey with the same terrible disease in 2010, she lovingly cared for him as well, until he passed away in 2016. She is my mother, Janice Garner.

Now, she lives alone. She has much time on her hands, but different issues prevent her from being as involved in activities as she was in years past. Though she hasn’t voiced it, I have an idea she feels somewhat invisible to the church. For years, she was the one who people sought out for answers. She was part of “Carl and Janice” but now he is gone from this earth. Most of the time, she sits alone and has had to learn an entirely new normal.

Wherever you worship, there are men and women in similar situations. People who have fascinating pasts, who have been—and still are—so valuable to the Lord, will be quietly sitting in the pews. Unless you take the time to seek out these beautiful people, you may overlook them. Be quick to befriend the shy, quiet, elderly, quirky, awkward and even those who seem difficult. Find out who they are and where they’ve been. Help them to not feel invisible, but instead, show them that they are precious in God’s sight, and in ours, too. You will never regret looking them in the eye, offering a hug and sitting down to learn from them.  They might seem to be “the least of these” (Matt. 25:45) but when we love and care for them, we love and care for the Lord!

Carla Moore

My friend is tall and willowy, with strawberry blonde hair (more strawberry than blonde) that swings freely around her face. She moves with purpose, yet gracefully, and has an immediate smile and a quick laugh that somehow covers two octaves. She has the most beautiful, melodic singing voice. She is a kind and gentle woman who stops and listens, truly listens, while you are talking, and it is easy to sense her genuine empathy. She is conscientious regarding her faith, with a very deep and obvious love for the Lord. She chooses her words with care: not once have I heard her speak critically of anyone. We’ve been friends for many years, and she is a woman I deeply respect. Yet there were times when I felt her skirting the edge of our friendship, holding me at gentle arm’s length. I occasionally wondered if I’d hurt her somehow, but I never asked. I wish I had. What I didn’t know was this: my gentle friend was desperately hurting; fighting a private, silent, dreadful, prolonged battle. Like a wilted dandelion blown and beaten by the wind, she was merely trying to hang on, while little pieces of her whirled away into the sky. She was simply exhausted; depleted by the struggle, and this world nearly—just nearly—lost her beautiful light.

I thank God that that didn’t happen. Her plan failed, and she immediately and bravely went into intensive therapy. With help, she is learning more and more about herself, about her brain, and about boundaries and coping skills. She is finding her voice and learning to advocate for herself and for others. She is slowly remembering how to talk with the Lord. Buckets of nourishing rainwater have been drenching her parched dandelion heart and mind, enabling little roots to dig down just enough to begin giving her hope and motivation. That hope is propelling her to educate and encourage others who, like her, have mental illnesses. She is motivated to put an end to the many painful, faulty stigmas attached to mental illness.

My friend was diagnosed with Major Depression Disorder. Social anxiety severely crippled her relationships, though she did her best to overcome it. Her harsh, belittling thoughts were reserved only for herself. Spiritually, although she said that “God was my lifeline forever,” she felt she did not have the mental capacity to concentrate on scripture, nor to sing or to hear lessons, because, she said, “I was already in the throes of condemning myself.” Prayer was lost, because she said “I couldn’t speak the words to pray…it was just too difficult and painful to think my relationship with Him was lost, and that I was the whole cause of it.” My heart broke when she told me, “My brain was fighting to live, but my mind wanted to die.” As much as she shared with me so that I might understand, I imagine that she only scratched the surface of the grief she endured. My prayer is that her silent suffering and desperation will be turned around into joy and hope. I want to help her share the light that is gradually returning to her beautiful life.

Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, there are stereotypes surrounding mental illness. Socially, we may tend to associate mental illness with violent offenders like Ted Kaczynski (who suffered from a chronic, severe mental disorder called Paranoid Schizophrenia.) Or, as my friend said, we imagine a scenario like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” within hospitals that provide therapy. Medications for diabetes or high blood pressure go unquestioned, but some may take issue with medication for a chemical imbalance in the brain. Our education about mental illness may come from the whispers we’ve heard in the past, or from books that were written prior to more recent, helpful discoveries and treatments. Because we may not understand or have personal experience with mental illness, sometimes we are tempted to avoid our friends who are suffering with them. Though not maliciously, we may talk about them, but not to them; we are concerned for them, but we are afraid to express that with them. All of this, I suspect, leads to further trauma and pain, causing the ones we love (who are already suffering mightily) to isolate and withdraw even more.

Morally, the stigma may be even more hurtful. For those who are spiritually strong and yet struggling with mental illness (and there are more than you may think)—if we ask if they’ve prayed about it or studied their Bibles, we may unintentionally heap even more guilt and shame upon their wounded hearts. As my friend said, “I asked myself, ‘what else can I pray?’ Maybe I prayed wrong, or not hard enough, not long enough…I’m already condemning myself. That just puts you in a deeper place when you didn’t think you could go any deeper—and there’s no way out of that hole, especially when you care so much about God, so much about loving Him and honoring Him with your life.” Consider this, too: the reason we want to ask those questions is because they are relevant. I know with a certainty that God’s word holds answers to our toughest questions and that prayer is a lifeline to the One who formed us; who knows and loves us most. However, to those whose minds aren’t thinking rationally, our well-meaning questions may sound more like accusations, and simply inflict more wounds.

My friends, if you see yourself within these paragraphs, we want you to know that you are not alone! We want to give you hope. Though difficult to hear while in the midst of it, depression and mental illness can be managed with help. Please reach out and ask for that help. Tell your trusted friend or your spouse or your parent that you are struggling. Please see a doctor and be truthful with him/her about how you are feeling. Let others hold you up when you cannot stand on your own. Try not to believe the lies that Satan wants to tell you, that you are unfaithful, unworthy, or unlovable—instead, turn your eyes on God’s truth, knowing that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit,” (Psalm 34:18). Did you know that mighty men and women of God in scripture also struggled with the challenges of life, begging for His help, and He bent down to listen (Ps. 40:1)? Did you know that He will bend down to hear you, too? Did you know that when your heart can’t find the words, the Holy Spirit, our Helper, will step in for you, pleading on your behalf (Rom. 8:26)?

If someone you love is struggling with these issues, please remember that their difficulty isn’t about you. Please don’t pile more anguish upon them with comments about your feelings: “How could you do this to me?” “Think what you could have done to those of us who love you!” These comments, though maybe true, are selfish and unhelpful.

If someone has reached out to you for help, I know it can be scary. We can be filled with self-doubt and fear—will I know what to say or how to help? What if I say the wrong thing? But remember: you may be God’s answer to their desperate prayer. You may be the one God intended to step in to be His hands and feet, to show His love and concern. You have been given the blessing to help lift and carry their burden (Gal. 6:2), relieving them of a load that has become too heavy to bear, and you can give the gift of compassion and comfort to those who are fainthearted (1 Thes. 5:14). If you can simply listen, care, and love, you will be a blessing to them. You shouldn’t try to fix them or solve all of their problems: simply listen and care.

I sat next to my friend recently as our congregation sang the beautiful song “Magnificat”. Her clear soprano voice, previously strong and bold, was tentative, but it was the most beautiful sound to my heart because she is still here, and she is resolute and growing strong. My sisters in Christ, I pray that we will extend hands of hope and compassion to one another, uniting to fight against any darkness that threatens to engulf us. The Lord sees you—He takes note of you: “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite (crippled, broken) in spirit…” (Isa 66:2), and He “binds up their wounds,” (Psa.147:3).

Learn more about mental illness and suicide prevention here: www.nami.org (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and here: www.projectsemicolon.com

Carla Moore

Jesus saw everyone. He saw the crowds and the individuals. He saw the young and the old. He saw the rich and the poor. He saw the ones everyone else tried hard not to see.

A blind beggar heard Jesus walking by and cried out to Him for help. Everyone else told the beggar to hush but Jesus said, “Call him over!” (Mark 10:46-52).

A lonely, desperate woman worked her way through a crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Jesus turned around and looked at her and called her “daughter” (Mark 5:25-34).

Jesus went out of His way to encourage a woman who’d lived a hard life and tried to keep to herself (John 4:4-42).

Jesus chose to stay in the home of a man whom everyone else hated (Luke 19:1-10).

He offered hope to a man who was condemned and at the end of his rope (Luke 23:39-43), comfort to a woman everyone else avoided (Luke 7:36-50), and great value and worth to a poor widow who brought little to the table.

No one was overlooked by Jesus. And because of that, no one is overlooked by His church. Jesus left an example for us and now we get to see, engage with, and value those who may often be invisible to others (1 John 2:6). How do we prove that God’s love abides in us? We see others and open our hearts to them (1 John 3:17).

“As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me.”

(Psalm 40:17)

By Kathy Pollard