Hope for a Weary Soul

Over the past few weeks I have been inundated with calls and meetings with people in crisis. Life is tough...there are days when we all wonder how we will persevere. In times of extreme stress, our brain releases cortisol in effort to help us regulate our stress response so that we can return to a state of homeostasis. In moderation, cortisol is a helpful hormone. The problem is when we live under constant duress, the body exerts excessive amounts of cortisol which can lead to high blood sugar, weight gain, gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular disease, and suppresses the immune system. I wish this list was as bad as it gets, but sadly, stress leads many to consider suicide as an option for dealing with their pain. (Just minutes before posting this I received word from a loved one of a suicide in her circle of friends). 

There are times when we are unable to eliminate stressors in our lives, so what's a person to do?  The answer lies in our ability to find healthy coping mechanisms to eliminate stress. We need to combat stress physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

Most of us know that aerobic exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep all work to reduce the effects of stress. We can also combat stress symptoms by managing our mental health. Meditation calms a person physically and emotionally, leading to better mental health. In addition, research shows that practicing the spiritual disciplines helps to deter the harmful effects of stress. 

The next time you are overwhelmed with stress, take a time out. Get alone with the scriptures and meditate on God's Word. Some passages that have helped me in the past are:

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail."  Lamentations 3:22

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faithproduces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."   James 1:2-5

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31

As well as Isaiah 43 and Hebrews 12

What are some passages that have ministered to your soul in dark times?

Elephants, Leopards, Killer Bees, and the Gay Marriage Debate

Horrified, I ran for my life. Fear gripped me as I listened to my daughter in the distance ahead of me screaming and crying in terror. How did this happen? This was like a scene in a bad movie, and yet it was inescapable.

Just moments before, we were laughing and chatting about our latest find. We were on safari in the Masaii Mara, admiring God’s handiwork. We had up close visits with elephants, watched hyenas scoping out the land, and even saw a few wildebeests in the distance. We were on the hunt for the elusive leopard. Our eyes peered into the trees searching for any signs of movement, when out of nowhere, we were attacked.

At first it was just a couple of bees flying in our open topped matatu. It seemed like in an instant, we were surrounded by swarming bees. They began stinging me as I tried desperately to kill them. In the seat in front of me, Jeff was swatting at them with his hat and stomping them with his feet. I could hear our friends and our daughter screaming for the driver, “Go!” And yet, we remained. By now the stings on my face were continuous; the pain was excruciating. The worst part was I didn’t see an end to the throngs of bees attacking us.

As the number of bees grew, Jeff began yelling for someone to open the door. He knew that if we remained in the van, the results could be fatal. Yet leaving the van was prohibited – there were wild animals outside and we were in leopard country. As he continued to holler for someone to open the door,  Jorjanne freed us and jumped out. Once we were out of the van, the situation began to make sense. Our van was stuck with one tire off of the ground. As the driver pushed the gas pedal, exhaust had flooded straight into the bee’s hive.

We began running…the bees followed. Charles, our driver, screamed, “Don’t run far; there are wild animals that will attack.” He handed me a Masaii blanket and told me to wave it in the air to scare away any animals. With one hand I swatted at the bees and with the other I frantically waved the blanket in the air. We were all screaming as we ran past the other van with our friends looking at us with horrified expressions. They could not help us. If they opened the doors, they too, would be attacked.

We continued to run when another van came to our rescue. At first they thought we were jumping up in down in celebration. They wondered if someone had gotten engaged. When they saw me waving the blanket, they realized something was terribly wrong. There van was enclosed (no open top) and they began yelling for us to get into their van. As we entered, so did a few bees. Killing the bees that entered, they began to assess the situation. One of my friends looked at me and said, “Oh my gosh! You have stingers all in your face.” I began to weep. One by one, my friend pulled at the stingers. A stranger in the new van offered us all antihistamines – a gift the nurse later said was timely and saved us from further complications.  At last we were safe.

I am struck by the devotion of the bees to protect the hive at all costs. We later learned that we had been attacked by African killer bees. They are called this not because their sting is more poisonous but because of the vast number of bees that join forces to attack. Once they sting, they will die. They literally sacrificed their own lives for the sake of the hive.

As I’ve reflected on what happened, I’ve looked for life lessons. What take away would God have me to learn from this experience? As Christians, we know who the real enemy is. Are willing to work together, and do whatever it takes to protect the Church from his attacks?

Since the SCOTUS decision on gay marriage, I have been brokenhearted at the response of Christians on social media. Supporters on both sides have attacked those with opposing views like much like the killer bees. One person makes a comment and a hundred more counter, kicking the bee hive.

The words thrown back and forth between the groups are causing division within the Church. Regardless of a person’s stance on gay marriage, the person is someone with dignity that deserves to be treated with respect. I’ve read posts where people in support of gay marriage call those who are not uneducated bigots, and I’ve read people against gay marriage tell supporters that they are going to hell for their beliefs. Arguing an issue is one thing, but casting stones at people is another. When we think we can belittle others because they see things differently than we do, we show disrespect.

My point is that we do our part to stop attacking other Christians who view this issue differently. Will we do our part to uphold the sanctity of the Church and come together and pray for our nation during this time of division? If we don’t, people will continue to be stung, and the results could be disastrous.

*Feel free to comment on this post, but please exercise restraint from attacking people on either side of the debate.

If Perfect Love Casts Out Fear Then ...

 

Have you ever seen the movie, Tangled?  It’s a modern-telling of the fairytale, Rapunzel.  This movie is a favorite in my house, and recently it has helped to teach me an important lesson.  In the movie, the mother hides her beautiful daughter away in a tower in an effort to protect her from harm; in doing so, the mother has prevented her child from life.  The young girl has never experienced grassy fields, wind in her hair, or the bliss of picking your first flower.  Even more detrimental is that the girl has never known what it is like to have friends.  The mother’s fear prevented the daughter from experiencing any form of love. 

1 John 4:18 says,

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. “

I’d never really thought about it before, but if perfect love casts out fear, then the reverse is also true.  Fear casts out love.  In an attempt to protect ourselves from getting hurt, we wall up our hearts for fear of being disappointed, rejected, or abandoned.   While the walls may be effective to protect us from emotional hurts, they also prevent the potential for love. 

The counselor in me wonders what happened in young Rapunzel’s mother’s life to cause her to fear the outside world as she did.  I wonder if someone she loved rejected her, or perhaps someone she loved abandoned her, leaving her to fend for herself.

We all have past hurts that threaten to smother our current relationships.  I have experienced multiple losses in my lifetime, and sometimes I fear that the people I love will also go away; when this fear creeps in, I try to appear tough and self-sufficient -- sometimes to the point that I push others away.  While I know my fears are irrational, if I linger on them too long, they threaten to block out love.

So, what is the moral of all of this jargon?  Rapunzel found love once she decided to step out from behind the walls, and take a risk.  Yes, I know. Rapunzel met her prince, but some of us are hiding behind walls so thick that we block out any chance of friendship. 

Scripture tells us that God is love; this means the nearer we draw to the Father, the less power fear has over our lives.  While people will disappoint us, God loves us with an everlasting love, and he promises to never leave or forsake us.  In times when we find it difficult to trust others, we cling to our trust in God.  As we trust in him, he helps us to love others and begins to cast away our fears.