First of all I need to apologize for taking so long since my last blog to get this one up! Between one of our daughters breaking a finger and going in for surgery today (Monday) and everything else that was going on during Spring Break I just didn’t get much of a chance to write. Add to that my internet was down for three days and I went nuts trying to figure out what the problem was just to have everything all of a sudden start working again after I did everything short of building a new computer. Come to find out Ma Bell had problems on their end and I was good to go all along!
I guess one of the good things that came out of no internet for three days was being able to get some work done on my book. I actually got pretty close to having two chapters wrote, rewrote, rewrote again, and then edited two or ten times. You get the picture. I’ll say this, writing a book is not as easy as it sounds. If I make a flub up here on my blog it’s not that big of a deal, I can just make a correction in the next blog. But when it’s in a book you have to have it right when it’s done!
With me having both Bipolar & ADHD I’m writing my book to be an inspiration to both those that have mental afflictions as well as those that don’t. My mantra is that if God can work through a bruised and broken vessel such as myself that he can work through anyone. I open up and talk about my struggles in life and how my disorders affect my life. But one thing that I’m noticing as I get into my book is that even though I have these disorders my struggles are not that much different then those that have no diagnoses of mental disorders. The only difference that I’m seeing is that sometimes my disorders exaggerate my struggles.
I’ve been doing a great deal of seeking, praying, and spending time in God’s Word over the past few weeks. In addition I’ve started seeking input from various Christian leaders in the area about what they are seeing. What I’ve found out is that there is a bunch of hurting people out there. Mental illness is on the rise and from what I’m hearing is that the rise is straight across the board. It doesn’t matter if you’re researching the Christian community or our population as a whole, Mental illness is on the rise.
Another point that I’m hearing is that the Church is ill prepared to deal with this increase in mental illness. I happen to belong to one of the few churches that has a ministry to those that need mental help. One thing that I would love to see is for the Church to step forward as a whole and reach out to those that are hurting. What better witness could the Church have?
As I’ve said in earlier blogs I’ve got mood swings with my Bipolar disorder. Right now I’m on an up swing and I’m starting to enjoy life again. One thing that I want to do now that I’m up and going again is to do what I can to help energize the church. I want to reach out to those that are hurting. I want to be Jesus to a hurting and broken world. It’s Jesus that gets me through the low, tough times and it’s Jesus that I want to share with others to give them hope and the reassurance of salvation.
I’ll finish up with expanding on something I said at the start. Our nine year old daughter is going in for surgery to repair a badly broken finger. She is going to get three pins put in along with a brace to hold those pins. After the doctors finish putting in the pins she will get a cast on her hand and arm. I am so proud of her. She is facing this surgery like a trooper! In fact right now she is showing less stress over it then I am!
As a parent you really do hurt when one of your kids get hurt especially if it’s bad enough to require surgery. I made the comment to my wife the other day that I wish I could trade places with our daughter. To hand one of your kids over to someone else so they can do surgery on your child is tough. One thing that I am seeing in all of this is that as a father I hurt when one of my children hurt which opens my eyes to better understand how much more our Father hurts when one of His children are hurting.
I’ll let you know how WE do! I just hope I get through it as well as our daughter does!
Be Blessed!
BIG SCOTT
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