How are you doing? I mean that sincerely. How are you holding up these days?
I listened to a series of three videos this morning in which the YouTuber read out details submitted by followers from around they country (and world). They outlined many of the shortages and challenges we are facing in virtually every aspect of life that aren’t currently readily apparent. A few of them stood out to me.
One was the fact that in some parts of the country there is a three to six month wait for an appointment with a mental health expert. I believe it was a six month wait in California, but another part of the country was mentioned as well. If you know someone who has struggled with mental health related issues, you know that three to six months is an eternity.
It’s vitally important that we all look out for our mental health as well as the well-being of our loved ones. We are living through a time of almost unfathomable spiritual warfare.
For those of us who are Christians, we have the ability to lean on Jesus. We can ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We can look back on the ways God has proved Himself faithful through the years. We can read the Scriptures. We can sing. We can pray. We can sleep and rest. We have many ways to build up our mental and spiritual well-being.
Most of us have walked with the Lord long enough that we have multiple stones of remembrance. We can remember times when God provided. When He led in unexpected ways. When He made something possible that didn’t seem possible in human terms.
I encourage you to draw on those times in your life. Read the passages of Scripture that God spoke through in the past. But also read passages you don’t often turn to and ask God to open your eyes to something in the passage you haven’t seen before and that will meet a personal need.
I’m not writing this post in a vacuum. The past month or so I have felt depleted emotionally. I got to the point where I realized I had very little to give to anyone outside of the four walls of my home. I’m not depressed, but I am weary. I’m especially weary mentally. I have almost zero ability to deal with negativity, lack of faith, black pilling, doubt, or the like in other people.
Because of that, I’ve limited my interactions with other people to just a few and a good portion of those have been virtual in various ways.
I don’t know your individual situation. There are many people who will read this and I don’t even know who you are or that you are there. Unless you are someone who comments that I’ve gotten to know, I don’t know anything about your story. But I do know that most Americans are struggling in one way or another right now.
As I’ve told Caroline repeatedly (including this afternoon), we’re living through one of the most critical times in human history. We have every reason to be weary. I don’t tend to dream a lot and I’ve had vivid dreams for several nights in a row. The same for David and Caroline lately. I truly believe there is some massive spiritual warfare going on right now. I’m sure many of you can feel it as well. Maybe you are dreaming more as well.
So how are you doing? How are you holding up these days? I hope you are hanging in there. If you have a word of encouragement or praise, please leave it in the comments. We can all use encouraging stories right now. And if you or someone you know needs prayer, leave as many details as you are comfortable sharing in a comment.
Keep pressing on. We’ll get through this to the other side. I firmly believe that. ♥
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Morning Hope – Psalm 86
Hi Sallie,
Great post. Truly we are in trying times but there have been much worse. What we find disconcerting is the evaporation of institutions, places and people we used to rely on. Churches are secularizing, laws normalizing the abnormal, empty store shelves, no real reliable media… But you are absolutely bang on when you quote the source of Christian ability to endure. We completely rely on God. We read, pray and contemplate our Lord Jesus daily. We also see how non-Christians struggle with circumstances that are swamping society. Again, excellent post we could not agree more.
Thank you, Thomas, for your kind words.
Sallie
Thank you so very much for posting. We have turned off the onslaught of news media in our home and limit the intake to maybe 5 minutes a day and then only from appropriate sources. We have been taking walks after dinner to slow down and listen to nature and look at the beautiful flowers blooming in our part of the country. I am listening to more classical music while I do some housework in the evening. We have pulled out the old board games and are working on a large puzzle which has been relaxing. I am memorizing more scripture which is always a good thing!! In many ways I feel that I am living more like when I was in high school before computers, cell phones, social media, and multiple television channels. I must say that it has been blissful and my anxiety and worries have dramatically decreased…….and we are laughing more. That’s always a good thing. God bless you and your family.
Hello Sallie,
Vicki Davis here from NW Georgia. Yes, I agree these are very unique times we are in. I was with 2 ladies my age, mid-late sixties, last summer, discussing current events. I tried to sound positive, reminding them we have seen our country go through difficult times before: the 60’s & 70’s with Viet Nam War, hippie movement, drugs, sexual revolution, civil rights, racial riots, inflation, etc…But they insisted it’s never been like THIS! While my husband and I have not personally been affected by the horrible issues affecting our nation, we grieve for the loss of what our fathers’ generation died to preserve and protect. We grieve for what our grandchildren may never have in freedom, faith and prosperity. Yes, we must draw strength from our personal experiences when we have overcome what we thought was insurmountable circumstances. Before David slew Goliath, he first slew the lion and bear. I think the most frustrating for me is I don’t know what to do to effect change. Sadly, I have lost faith in the election process, but of course still vote. Sallie, thank you for all you do. Your research and presentation of the news from “reliable” sources is a blessing. Being weary is understandable. Nurture yourself and your family. I like reading others’ comments on how they are managing during these very trying times. I’m saying a prayer for you now.
I am picking and choosing what to take in as far as news these days. I do feel weary at times. Looking at more of what is needed to provide for my family in these hard times. God has provided money to pay a debt which I immediately took care of. I am so thankful!
I have to focus on what I can control in my own life that God wants me to take care of. I have some part-time work and am working towards being self-employed. I am leaning in to those who the Lord is leading me to help in whatever way that might look like. So many are hurting, yet the Lord is here.
I want to get out into the beauty of God’s nature more. It is refreshing and healing, That is an area am I working towards this year.
I know God knows what He is doing and knows we are weary of the evil going on in this world. Prayers and you and your family.
This post was a great encouragement to me personally, so thank you, Sallie. I especially like your reminder about stones of remembrance. God is so good to us. I can’t imagine going through a time like this without Him. I have roughly 40 years worth of stones to reflect on. I have been dreaming more often myself, and I’ve been able to remember my dreams more clearly than in the past. Interesting.