Comforting Them with Love

“Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  Jeremiah 33:3

There was a man walking along on a cold winter day.  Suddenly hitting a patch of black ice, he fell and then bam! He wasn’t expecting this but found himself on the ground, cold, wet, humiliated and seemingly alone. He cut his elbow and was bleeding quite a bit. He wanted to go crawl into a hole and hide. His first thought was complete embarrassment for what had happened and wondered if anyone had seen him fall so abruptly. Before he realized it, a stranger was kneeling by him to grab his arm, helping him back to his feet. He felt embarrassed by the situation.  However, the stranger wasn’t focused on that at all. Instead he focused on showing love and compassion while making sure he was okay. He knew he was hurting and came alongside him, helping him mend his wounds.

This story has me thinking about my brothers and sisters struggling with mental health issues. Some may struggle with depression, anger, anxiety or other issues that make it difficult to function, let alone live among society. I have heard from some that they feel so alone, and feel they are a burden to those living around them. Sometimes they may become completely overwhelmed with a sense of loneliness in their pain – wanting to crawl in a hole and hide from the world.

In Celebrate Recovery we are growing to understand that our friends dealing with mental health struggles are hurting in ways that may not be visible.  These struggles are very real and present. They are desperate for someone to love them in their struggle. Celebrate Recovery provides the platform to experience that love. We get the wonderful privilege as brothers and sisters in Christ to come alongside our struggling family and show them the love of God. I love that!  We get to take part in showing them the great and mighty things our Lord and Comforter can provide.  We get the honor of showing hurting and struggling souls that they are more than the diagnosis they carry. They are the beloved son or daughter of the perfecter of faith, Jesus Christ.

We cannot fix the struggle, but we can kneel down in love, grab an arm, with support and love, and be with our friend in the struggle. I thank God for a place where we can come as we are, no shame, no embarrassment, no judgment, just a place to be loved: Celebrate Recovery.