“I need to gather my thoughts.”
“I’m just all over the place today.”
“I can’t seem to get it together.”
“I can’t seem to nail anything down.”
“No matter where I am my mind is somewhere else.”
And then, the universal song of every woman I know.
“I’m just so overwhelmed.”
We look to all sorts of things for solutions and we live in a world that is all too ready to give them. From prescriptions to vacations, we search for solace – some respite to quiet our minds. We lie awake at night dwelling on our to-do lists, wondering how it multiplied as we worked with diligent hands all day to check things off.
Before we have time to open our eyes in the morning, our brains are already busy. And God forbid our bladders wake us in the middle of the night or we wake up while turning over and the all-too-familiar creaking begins in our minds and then the wheels start spinning, spinning, spinning…always spinning. Wide awake, we stare at the ceiling. Frustrated, we pick up our phones, and scroll, scroll, scroll, click, comment, click, share. We might be awake, but at least we don’t have to think when we scroll, scroll, scroll, click, comment, click, share. I’m not the only one. I see you there in the middle of the night too.
Melatonin. Tart cherry juice and ionic magnesium. Turmeric tea made from warm plant milk and honey. Melatonin. Gummies or spray? Five mg or ten? Ashwagandha root, valerian root, passionflower root, L-theanine. And these are just the things in my own cabinet.
But still, the wheel turns.
I could tell you here which ones work for me. But why would there be so many choices if one of them worked? They all work for a little while – the nature of all temporal things.
In November 2022, I decided to memorize the book of James. It felt right. Besides, Beth Moore did it, why can’t I? “It’s only five little chapters,” she said. “Just ten minutes a day,” she said. She was right on all points. And I did well through chapter one. Don’t we usually do good at the first of the year? I got stuck in chapter two and gave up the ghost. But sometime around mid-March, I began to realize that when I was lying awake at night, there was not one thing that could rock my mind back to sleep quicker than “My beloved brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons”….zzzzzzzz…..zzzzzzz (ESV. Ja. 2:1). I’m no super saint; the gummy bottle is still my last stop before bed. But falling fast asleep to James has me reconsidering my approach.
James said, “be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves…” (ESV Ja.1:22).
Ouch.
So, what am I missing? Lord, help me, I cry as I keep adding to my list. I keep stretching myself too thin and saying “yes” when I should be saying “no.” I plan a vacation that exhausts me. I plan a conference because “that will refresh my spirit.” I plan a girl’s night, and a rest day – probably on a Sunday when I’d so desperate that I skip church to rest.
Yet, I still find myself early on a Monday morning at my desk in a full blown panic attack that freezes my brain power, clutches my chest, and steals my air as hot tears drown my face.
James calls us to practical wisdom. “be ye doers…”
“Of what? I’m DOING all I can DO,” I scream at the Heavens.
And I hear the echo of His Word in my heart.
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You…” (Is. 26:3).
And that’s why making that middle of the night choice to force my mind to quote scripture puts me right off to sleep.
The rest of that verse says, “…because he trusts you.”
When I let my Sprit have my mind and choose to dwell on Him, I am in essence, saying to God, “I trust you with all the things. I trust you to handle what I can’t, to equip me for what You say I can handle, and to order my steps to know what to do and when to do it.”
We like worldly solutions, especially if they say, “all natural” or “herbal remedy.” We really like things that say the magic buy word: “Organic.” Chic, trendy, healthy, everybody’s-doing-it kind of solutions. But there’s not one thing on earth more truly organic than the infallible unshifting Word of God – sixty-six love letters from Your Creator to speak directly into your unique set of circumstances and shine the light.
I’m not telling you to stop the melatonin or the things. But I am saying, just like I would if we were grabbing a lunch time latte, “Hey, have you tried THIS? Oh, girl, you have to cause it works – no, giiirrrrl, I mean it WORKS.”
All jokes aside, mental health is a serious issue. You don’t need me to report statistics; just scroll through Facebook or watch the news or live out your own life at its maddening pace and that will be sufficient evidence. That’s why I’ve decided to take my mental health more seriously.
Today you are reading the first of what will be many weekly blog posts called “Mental Health Mondays: Coffee and Hope in a World Gone Mad”. Through this blog, I hope to build bridges and offer you hope. Am I a clinical counselor? No. Am I licensed in any way? No. But I’ve got my experience in the valley that has built my mental muscle and that muscle started with somebody else handing me a life raft called hope. So, that’s what I have to give: my experience, strength, and hope. I’ll share with you nuggets of what it used to be like, some things that happened that led me here, and what it’s like now. And if in your head you read that and got transported to your last twelve-step meeting, we might know each other. But don’t worry, I do have some a little book sense too and you can click on my About Me page to find out more about that. https://thebluedoor.co/
I simply want to share hope and build bridges.
Each week, we’ll explore a new topic together. I’ll share some personal points, point you to some resources, recommended reading, offer a few practical steps, and some Biblical solutions that will give you the light of hope. I know that word Biblical might scare you. But I promise, I’ll keep it fun. I won’t preach. I won’t give you empty promises. I won’t tell you anything that I haven’t experienced myself.
You’ve been patient and stayed with me this far, so today, I’ll keep it brief.
Our first topic of Mental Health Mondays is meditation. What is it? Is it good or not and why? How do we do it? When we’re done, hopefully you will want to decide the when and the where of it yourself.
What is it?
Websters says a couple of things. 1. To engage in contemplation or reflection, 2. To engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.
When I’m stressed to the max, if I close my eyes for just ten minutes, I can pretty much pull myself out of the chaos and back to a more reasonable way of thinking. The world screams at us that meditation is a good thing. But what if we could do it better? Better yet, what does God say?
Psalm 119:15 says, “I will study your commands and reflect on Your ways.”
Ps. 119: 48, “…I will meditate on thy statutes.”
Ps. 119: 78, “May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.”
Thomas Watson, a sixteenth century Puritan preacher said this about meditation:
It is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths
of God to remembrance, and seriously ponder them and apply
them to ourselves.
James said, “Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves.”
Is meditation good?
Calming myself is always good. It’s good to close my eyes and breathe for ten minutes in the middle of chaos. It’s probably even good for five minutes. But I can’t think of but a few times that I’ve been in a chaotic mindset and have had time to go breathe alone for ten minutes. It has worked when I’ve done it, sure. But is it lasting? Isn’t it the same as taking a melatonin that my body will just get used to? Is putting a band-aid on a broken ankle fixing anything? Does breathing really offer a solution to a bigger problem? Not really.
But Biblical meditation does. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Bible is sharp enough to pierce down to the dividing of soul and spirit and joints and marrow. Romans 12:2 offers us hope of lasting transformation when we let the light in: “Be not conformed to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”.
Meditation is not new. Solomon tells us in Ecc.1:9 that “there is nothing new under the sun.” In a world that tells us to avoid processed food and cheap imitation foods that are chemically tainted, don’t you want to get down to the organics of the world’s proposed solutions? God’s idea of meditation is clear; we are to meditate on His Word. Only the unshifting Word of God can give us the wisdom we need to do the practical things that transform our lives by first transforming our minds – not calming our chaotic minds but transforming them into something brand new that pursues peace.
How do we do it?
If I were a licensed professional, the following would be my prescription and instructions on how to carry out effective meditation.
Prayer:
Ps. 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way” (Ps. 139:23-24).
Confession:
Whatever comes to mind, sin, anxiety, worries, fears, all the things on the to-do list, confess it to God.
Ps. 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.”
Scripture reading
First and daily. I know the naysayers are saying, “Well, I don’t have time. My life is too busy.” Or even worse than these: “The Bible does not say I have to read it every day, it says often.” (Probably coming from someone who has never read it all the way through…just saying.) Just try trusting me on this one. Getting up thirty minutes earlier to approach the Word changes your brain. The act alone is an action step that of itself says, “I’m reordering things. There’s a new Boss and I’m not it.”
Meditate
You don’t have to read a lot. Just start somewhere. Psalm is good. Read one Proverb a day. Just create a habit. You don’t have to be Sally Super Christian to read one Proverb a day. The Holy Spirit will honor you showing up and light a fire in you for more in His time. For now, just start.
Choose one scripture to write on an index card. Stick it in the pocket of your scrubs and when you get a chance to go pee, take it out and read it instead of scrolling through Facebook. I know the struggle is real. I do it too. But when I choose wisely, I gain strength. Think about one verse. Make yourself. You have the power to put your brain in a new direction. He has given it to you. If you say you lack this power, then I’m inclined to ask you this: “Have you been made alive in Christ? Have you been born again?” If so, then you have the power; you just don’t know it yet, because you’re not in His Word.
If not, then stop what you’re doing right now and run to Jesus. If you’ve read this far and you’re not even a believer, then He is pursuing you. Turn around, look full into His wonderful face, and call on Him as Lord. He will rescue you. He will raise you to life in Him and make you brand new. He doesn’t care what you’ve done. Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” That’s me right there for sure. But verse 24 says, “all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” I dare you to come alive today.
Next week, I’ll skip the long introduction and cut right to the point. But I hope you come. And I hope you share this with a friend. We all are suffering some form of madness in this world. Let’s come together for coffee and hope.
Recommended Reading
Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
Exposing Satan’s Playbook: The Secrets and Strategies Satan Hopes You Never Discover by Perry Stone
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