Monday, August 11, 2014

Like a Candle

Isaiah 42:2-3 - He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 

Isaiah 54:10 - "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Dear God, I need Your comfort and Your rest. I grow weary right now from many things. Renew me. Thank You for being there and for loving me. God, also comfort the family and close friends of Robin Williams. His death announcement last night was very emotional. Teach people what they need to know when they see the film "The Giver" later this week, which I personally think everyone should do. Jeff Bridges was so choked up when asked about Robin Williams. They said he possibly took his own life. I have not heard much about whether he believed in You, but I hope he did because if he did, then he is now at peace with You instead of hurting and having to battle the monster of depression. His death stands as a reminder of why it is more important now than ever for churches to step up and stop treating mental disorders and other special needs as sins and start actually ministering to people who are struggling with them. There are simply not enough counselors out there. His death stands as a reminder of why it is crucial to remove the barriers and stigmas attached to mental health issues so that people will not be afraid to get the help they need. Men, in particular, tend to believe that needing help is a sign of weakness. I disagree. A man who acknowledges that he needs help and then actually seeks help is showing more strength than a man who doesn't. Because when he does, he is showing that he is honest and open. In this assessment, I see where Tom was a coward because instead of dealing with the conflict as he usually would, he bought lies and spread lies instead of actually talking with me about what happened. When confronted with truth, he took a cop out. But I am called to more. The letter will finally be written this week since I will finally have the time. I saw many people who said Robin Williams took the coward's way out. No, he didn't. He did the last thing he thought was the only option left. His death reminds me of what that pastor's family went through last year with their son. I started to call depression a demon, but quickly changed it to monster for a reason. Calling it a demon is the reason churches have failed when it comes to the special needs ministry arena. Too many churches call the special needs and mental illnesses demons and say, "Well, we can pray over them and pray with them and they will be healed of it." STOP!!!! Churches are doing more damage when they do that than if they just actually minister to and with the people who are challenged and blessed by them. And I am one of the people who was damaged because of the existence of that mentality in a church that was supposed to be safe from abuse and bullying, but ended up being so corrupt that I suffered from abuse and bullying instead. God, how my heart aches because to the extent of having special needs myself and seeing my mom's own struggle with PTSD, I really cannot blame Robin Williams for what he did, if he in fact did take his own life. He will be greatly missed though. He brought us all laughter and tears. "Patch Adams" as the doctor who brought comedy to his patients. "Jack" as the boy who grew into a man too fast. "Aladdin" as Genie. "Mrs. Doubtfire" as a nanny because he just wanted to be able to see his children and be a good dad to them. "Dead Poets Society" as the teacher who made an impact on his students. And many other unforgettable roles. Oh, how how we will be sorely missed. In Jesus' Name, Amen!


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