Listen
I am married to an introvert, who puts up with my extrovert activities.
The theme for this day with our older grands was chickens!
Yup, opposites are good for one another. If it's my husband's night to pick a movie, he will literally take 30 minutes reading, searching and pondering the best choice. Me, on the other hand, will just click on the first romcom or PureFlix's film that pops up and give it a 10 minute try.
This particular night I clicked on the first PureFlix movie that came up. The titled 5000 Blankets. Based on a true story, it was about a husband with a mental illness and the homeless community in Houston, Texas. There was very little cheerful about the movie, but it left us both deep in thought.
The very next morning at 7:33 I received five voice messages and three texts from a very troubled woman whom we have had contact with for six years. My husband had to finally tell me we could no longer take her calls, because of her unstable behavior. Our church security team and the sheriff's department are both aware of the situation and attempts have been made over the years to get her help. Mental illness is such a difficult problem.
Before heading to church that morning, I wrote her an anonymous note reminding her of resources and scripture verses that might help. In full disclosure, I had prayed that she would not come to church that day and cause a disturbance. I regretted that prayer after hearing the sermon.
When we are listening for God, he goes before us preparing us for what we are facing, meets us in the middle of a mess and then provides a way out. He used a movie, scriptures implanted in my heart and a sermon to equip me for the issue at hand.
Check out these three points and scripture verses.
1. Remember the Lord gives you peace.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.
2 Remember the Lord promises His Presence
Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you.
3 Remember the Lord provided grace.
Romans 5:1 "Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus.
I came home from church and picked up a book I had started a couple months ago. The title, I Want God.
I started reading where I had left off. It was such a God thing, because the written words were similar to what this woman's was saying in one of her voicemails. She feels that people are against her, rejecting her.
"When someone rejects us, our insides wither and cry and sometimes harden and threaten to die. We feel discarded and judged and want to scream at them that we are worthy, and they are wrong for not seeing it. Or we begin to hear lies in our head that whisper maybe they are right, which takes us down a road of self-loathing we often waste years trying to find our way off.
This is the gift of God: Even in the sting of rejection of others, He strengthens our significance. His voice is louder. He is able with one heart to heart endorsement to silence the noise of human haters."
If we listen, God will speak. He know everything that touches our lives.
Proverbs 8:17 "Those who search will surely find me."
Let's Pray
Lord, we know with you all things are possible. We pray now for those tormented by mental illness and for the heartache this brings to their families and those who care for them. In the powerful name of Jesus we ask fore their minds to be set free from the captivity they are under. Where medications are complicating the problem please in the name of Jesus right anything that is wrong. Give wisdom to the medical community who cares for these individuals. We claim these verses Isaiah 43:1 "I have called you by name, you are mine." 2 Corinthians "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they will be my people." May Your Word reach all who are struggling today and may we all learn to take every word captive and learn to measure the thoughts in our heads, but what You say is true and who You say we are in Your Word. In Jesus' name, we say Amen and hallelujah.
The Song
"You Can Let Go" Jordan Janzen
