Our life as adventure

I've been enjoying Erwin McManus's Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment. Although it's my third time reading this book, it still inspires me in the same way. McManus writes that life is an adventure which "comes at great risk and at significant cost. And life as God intends for you to live is nothing less than an adventure."

This book is hitting home so well for me right now as I'm gradually hoping to become more fully engaged in Living Room work again. A while back it was thought that I should avoid all big stressors and try to keep myself safe from excessive mood problems. But my new medication is working. I have regained the stability I lost. Thank you, God, for medicine! No need to continue playing it too too safe.

And I prayed, "Lord, what kind of life would I have playing it safe all the time? Life is and adventure and I'll need to live it, even if it means getting overwhelmed once in a while. God, I need to trust you again, as I trusted you from the beginnings of Living Room.

Yes I trusted, but You know how I faltered a lot too, Lord. There was a lot of fear. But You never failed to bring me back to the realization that I don't have to do the work alone. In fact, it's mostly You doing the work. All I have to do is to be a foot soldier for You. I just do what I'm told, taking advantage of opportunities that you provide, responding to those delicious urges to write - those urges that I know come from You. I want to be a voice for You, Lord."

Erwin McManus also wrote the following: "This is about stepping up and making sure life counts. It's about volunteering when God is asking, 'Who will go on my behalf?' I'm talking about our silent abdication of responsibility, our choice to move to the backdrop when someone is needed on the forefront."

Yes, Lord, to keep playing it safe now that I'm more stable would indeed be abdicating my responsility.

I know that our God is very much present in all of Living Room's work. Through it Christians living with mood disorders are finding safe places to openly be themselves, dealing with their emotional problems with the help of God, in an accepting and loving environment. It is a worthy adventure.

One track mind

I've been feeling kind of bad lately that all I seem to have to talk about or want to talk about is Living Room. My mind has been on a single track. Everyone must be getting very tired of this.

Yet my work is Living Room. It's so very important to me. But I know there's more to life than this.

At times I think I'm living like a nun, cloistered. I don't read the newspapers, don't listen to the news on the radio, don't watch any TV, hardly ever rent a movie. The only books I read - and I do read a fair amount - are the Bible and Christian non-fiction. I've quit photography because I feared it would distract me from my mental health work.

I do work out. I do play games with my husband when we have free evenings. And I'm going through the process of getting my book published, but that's mental health related as well.

My purpose in life is to help erase the stigma attached to mental illness, especially the stigma in the church. In the process I want to support people with mental health issues and help churches learn how to give support. This is the work God has given me to do. I feel comfortable doing these things. Living this kind of life makes me feel strong and well.

And yet...

I was reading a book yesterday about how to live the Christian life and found, deep in the middle of the book, a paragraph where the author mentioned she was bipolar. Just one little mention - nothing else. Wish I could focus away from my illness a little more than I do - more like this author did. Maybe one day.

In the meantime, I do think God wants me to be an activist. I feel moved to speak out as much as I can. I feel I need to help Christians learn how to support those who struggle with mental health issues.

Just hope people don't get tired of me.