Compassionate Love Blog: Displaying compassion for those who fight mental illness, addiction, and abuse (c)2018 Nancy Virden, Always the Fight Ministries
Gravelly and broken. The parking lot’s many potholes threaten to open wider in the next big storm. Miniscule pebbles sprinkle a patchwork of old and newer asphalt.
Walking toward my car, my mind races with everything on my to-do list. A familiar sense of helplessness and fear creep into the thought process. “I can’t!” I said to myself. “I can’t do it all!”
Staring down, I notice my feet are not touching all the patches. Little stones lay everywhere and I am not considering which ones to walk on. Going over all the rough spots in the lot would take hours – a frantic attempt at a task that is not mine or necessary. Millions of pebbles prove that trying to touch them all is a wasteful and ridiculous idea. My job is simply to keep walking.
Sometimes there are too many obligations. I and many of us lock ourselves into more than is necessary, more than we can reasonably do.
This time, I quit.
It’s a familiar feeling, being overwhelmed. My reaction has to change. Plopping in a chair in near defeat, I focus on God and ask for wisdom. The prayer, I can’t but You can enters my thoughts.
Life and mind for each of us seem gravelly and broken sometimes. Just as we finish one repair, another pothole appears. We chase flaws instead of dreams. That pace will last for only so long.
My to-do list is up for reassessment, for sure! First, a break is the top priority. I will sit back and wait on the Lord, and allow Him to heal my spirit. He will teach me what steps to take, and give me the strength to take them.
Maybe someone else wants to hit every patch of cement and pebble in the parking lot. Not me. Endeavors succeed when we are free to focus. Mental health can flourish in a balanced life.
I can’t means God can, and I’ll let him.
Today’s Helpful Word
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
***** COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOME
NOTE: I am not a doctor or a mental health professional. I speak only from personal experiences with and observations of mental and behavioral health challenges. In no way is this website intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.
If you are struggling emotionally today or feeling suicidal, or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or for a list of international suicide hotlines, go here.
If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S. (for international emergency numbers, go here ), or go to your nearest emergency room. Do not be alone. Hope and help are yours.
*potholes by TACLUDA; woman by MOKRA, both of rgbstock.com
Always the Fight 