Healed to Speak

A few days ago, I was watching television with a friend. It was one of my favorite sitcoms from the 80’s. (I will not reveal the show because it is not the purpose of this writing). In one of the scenes, a female character appeared. I said, “Oh, I remember her” then my friend said, “I don’t like her.” I asked why and my friend said, “You don’t remember what she did in real life?” I recalled the incident my friend was speaking of and it was over 25 years ago! What immediately came to mind is why we remember the worst in people and not the best. When we think of those who have wronged others, or us we tend to remember the incident and forget about who the person truly is. Why do we remember the negative things people do? Why do we hold onto the memory? Does it provide a sense of comfort? Does it remind us not to get hurt the same way again? Is it a reminder not to trust again? Do we feel justified to hold onto the memory? Some time ago, I was hurt deeply by someone I loved. Each t...

Knowing who you are is important. It reveals your strengths, weaknesses, gifts, and talents. However, if you do not know or understand who you are you mask the very things that make you unique. When a person experiences trauma and does not receive healing, it often leaves the person broken and open to negative ideas and beliefs about themselves. This was me and I did not like myself at all. I did not like my complexion, my height, and I did not believe I was smart. I would look at others and envy them, which caused more insecurity. There was a time when I did not know who I was, so I acted like who I thought I should be or who people thought I should be. It was not until I learned who I was in Christ, that I realized I can be just who I am regardless of who likes it or not. This was not an overnight process; it took many years. I learned to look in the mirror love myself and believe what God said about me. I learned God made me just the way I was for a reason. I am happy to s...

My prayer for this blog is to impart into you as God imparts into me. Last week, the Lord allowed me to share some of my childhood experiences with you. I mentioned I would write about healing to tie in the mental health aspect. However, while writing and watching the movie “The Shack,” I felt God shifting my message very strongly. I will still discuss healing, but not mental health. I know there was some controversy from the Christian community about some of the themes in the movie, but I believe there were still some biblical truths one could glean. Pain…it comes in many forms and happens at different stages of life. It can occur in childhood or adulthood and can take the form of rejection, the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, sickness, and sometimes a misunderstanding. No matter what form, it hurts and if we do not take the necessary steps to heal from our pain, our entire lives can be affected and become infected with frustration, anger, self-doubt, bitterness...

Before mental health week concludes, I want to share a little of my heart on the issue. This subject is loaded and I will not be able to expound on all the things I want to discuss. This post will have two parts, as I believe mental health and internal healing go hand-in-hand. Please know I am not writing to provide answers, but to provoke a discussion about a sensitive topic. Nowadays, mental illness is a subject discussed more openly; however, there are still several myths about it. Some of the myths include mental illness being a personal weakness, individuals can get by without professional help, mental illness is one’s own fault, children are unaffected by mental health issues and finally, mental illness is shameful. Based on my personal experience, I can tell you each of the myths are just that, myths. I grew up with a mother who suffered from mental illness. At the time (early 80’s), mental illness was taboo. Those around her knew something was wrong, but was too afraid to confr...