God can do anything,
you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your
wildest dreams!
He does it not by pushing us around but
working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG)
That is so very true!
When I was young I was afraid to speak up in class or to
other people. Being a leader of Living Room support ministries was the furthest
thing from my mind, but that's what God made me.
When I think of what my life used to be like, I marvel at how it has
changed. As a teen I had social anxiety disorder and depression. At the age of
nineteen I spent nine months at Riverview, a major mental hospital in British
Columbia. This was followed by a lifetime of struggles with psychosis,
depression and mania.
At the age of forty I decided I could no longer live on my
own strength but needed God! I gave up my need for control and surrendered my
life to Him. I soon learned what it was to receive divine love. My life became
more meaningful. Although I wasn't cured of my disorder, I found a measure of healing. I grew.
I never dreamed that I would become an activist, trying to
erase the stigma attached to mental illness. God's spirit worked within me,
giving me the courage to respond to His invitation to join Him in the work He
was - and still is - doing in the world. He led me from
project to project, one step at a time. I never knew where He was taking me or
how long the journey would be. That's how God operates. He doesn't let you see
the big picture ahead of time. The important thing is to trust and
follow.
God helped me create church-based Living Room support
groups, places where people with mood disorders can talk openly about their
faith and their mental health problems. Before Living Room it was seldom
possible for people to safely talk about these two things together - not in the secular world nor in the Christian world.
I've struggled with bipolar disorder
for 48 years now, unable to hold a paying job. In spite of that, I have
been able to work for God - not doing anything wonderful on my own, but simply
being His foot soldier. I went where He led, speaking and writing the words He
gave me. Amazing what can be accomplished when we decide that the work is not
our own, but God's. Such a wonderful world He opens up for us - a life that's
beyond what we could ask for or imagine.
It's a privilege to be doing this work, including sending
you these emails. I feel blessed to be able to serve God in this
way.
May God bless you too as you follow Him on your journey -
step by step, day by day.
PS: This is a recent email I sent to the people on my list - one of my Reflections on Scripture. If you would like to start receiving these, mailed out every Monday, go to the Homepage of the Living Room website to sign up. You can unsubscribe at any time.
