Skip to main content

It's okay to be "not okay"

I really dislike how it's not okay to be "not okay" in our culture. Let me explain.

In the Bible, some of most inspiring key players (say, David and even JESUS!) struggled and had low low's. As He was dying, Jesus asked God to take the cup from Him, if it was His will. He was struggling. It was a low low.

Fast forward to 2010, and somehow our culture completely shuns brokenness. In fact, we assume someone is weak or has a flawed personality if they are down. Most of the time, we don't even ADMIT when we are struggling because we fear how others will perceive us. We fear rejection, gossip, and that others will think badly of us if we admit we are dealing with sadness, fear, depression, or sin.

The enemy loves it when we keep our seasons of struggle hidden from others. Evil thrives in the darkness. When we don't tell anyone about our struggles, we isolate ourselves and basically wilt, receiving nothing to alleviate our pain. When we are honest about struggles, confiding in others and asking for prayer, we thrive and receive the support and encouragement (and the healing from prayer!) that we need.

We have to remember that when we are weak, then we are strong! When we feel like we have nothing left - those are the times that we realize how much we really need Jesus. Weakness is a powerful thing. We all know this, but we simply hate being weak, don't we? I pray that we will all begin to see the value and the opportunities that brokenness and weakness bring.

I want to get better about this, seeking help when I need it, instead of putting on a happy face and acting fine. I also want to be better at being approachable, someone who others feel comfortable confiding in when they are facing trouble.

Just my mid-afternoon thoughts...

Comments

  1. Jessica DucharmeNovember 30, 2010 at 1:17 AM

    Hi, Leigh! I just stumbled upon your blog and must say that I am struggling with this. It's nice to know that I am not the only one. Take care and thanks for posting :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Olivia Kate Update

We expected a routine appointment. Last April, the cardiology team told us that we did not have to return for another check-up on the hole in Olivia's heart for a full year. This was music to a mom's and dad's ears! Since her pediatrician had noticed the severe murmur in her heartbeat when she was just four days old, we'd visited the cardiologist office several times to monitor any changes in heart function. So far, it seemed that this hole was not causing any problems, and the doctors said that it might even close on its own. The ultrasounds of Olivia's heart today revealed a different story, unfortunately. The left side of her heart has enlarged slightly over the last year, which tells us that this precious organ is under a bit of stress due to the turbulence of the extra blood flowing in and out of the hole. The first cardiologist who reviewed the ultrasounds with us today told us what we really did not want to hear: Olivia is heading down the path that req...
10 comments
Read more

Jonah and the Worm

My sister gave me a book for Christmas that I finally picked up to read last week. The book – Jonah and the Worm by Jill Briscoe – is a children’s book with deep meanings, and I am so glad that I finally began to read it. It’s kind of like Shrek or other animated movies that are cleverly written to be enjoyed by both children and their parents. The book tells the story of Jonah from the Bible focusing on the perspective of the worm in the story. Details are embellished, but the timing and schedule of events is the same as the Biblical account. This short little book contains really profound truths that have jumped off the page at me. For example, the worm receives a message from God that he should travel to Ninevah, though God doesn’t give him an explanation as to why. Travelling to Ninevah means leaving behind his family and familiarity, but he decides to obey and go where the Lord is sending him – even though he doesn’t know what purpose God has for him there. On his way to Ninevah...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's Real

I struggle with mental illness. Like many others, I can't really define myself as falling cleanly into one category or give myself a specific diagnosis. Mine has manifested in different ways during different seasons of my life: sometimes it's anxiety, but other times it's depression, disordered eating, obsessive compulsion or a cocktail of these. Regardless, it's there, and while I experience a lot of happiness in my life, there's also some inner turmoil that I fight to keep at bay. Why am I telling you this? It's certainly not for pity or to draw attention to myself. I'm guessing that many people reading this also struggle, but others may not. For both parties, I want to take a stab at normalizing mental illness and I also want to point out a few things I've found to be true: - Mental illness is not limited to a certain stereotype. Depression doesn't just affect teenagers who prefer dark clothes and hooded jackets! It's not just the poor, ju...
5 comments
Read more