God Bless America

A Message of Hope and Reconciliation

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) taught me as a person that wrestles with a mental illness to “speak from my lived experience”. When I have done so, family, friends, and even strangers have been incredibly supportive and called me “courageous” and even “inspirational”. Word cannot express how cathartic it is to be open about my struggles. Thank you for being willing to listen and believe me when my experiences are different than your own.

Thank You

I just want to express my gratitude for those people in my life that have been willing to “start the conversation” about what is a very divisive issue in our culture today. To be candid, the “lived experience” stories I am hearing break my heart. As a Christ follower, I know that His heart is also broken. Yet, everyone I have talked to recognizes that there are good people on all sides of this complex issue.

Vulnerability

According to Brene’ Brown, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” We are living in tumultuous times. My daily prayer is for reconciliation. What that looks like on a practical, tangible, level I do not know yet. But I do know that I am called to not only to pray but also to listen.

Creativity

As many of you know, I have begun to draw again because of what happened during COVID-19. I do believe that the Creator of the Universe wants to “tenderize” our hearts so He can do a “new thing”. I think he wants to use all of us together to think about positive constructive change in our culture. Why? For His Glory.

18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.

Isaiah 43: 18-21 (New International Version)