All posts by Darkmyroad

Does the Wonderful Counselor Really Exist?


Ok, sorry about the cheesy title. I wanted to get Handel into your head. Ha! So there.

Confessional Lutherans have what I would call a hate-grudging respect-hate-sometimes love relationship with counselors. Older pastors were taught to one degree or another that they are the “counselor” to their people. Being a pastor means one-on-one, make sure you have the kleenex handy conversations with your flock. If you don’t do that, you are either insensitive, don’t “love your people”, or are somehow deficient in your view of the pastoral office.

But for younger pastors (by this I mean men who graduated from the sem within the last 15-20 years, particularly the last 10-15) counseling has a different connotation. Sometime in the early 90s the LCMS decided that seminary students needed to undergo various levels of psychological evaluations while at seminary in order to graduate. You can imagine the joy that ensued among students. Some loved it. Others hated it. Some (particularly those who had worked in the business world, government or military) simply knew how to “beat it” and didn’t care. But regardless, that forced relationship with a counselor shaped the views of many pastors toward counseling and psychotherapy. As you can tell, it was mostly negative. Counseling was something to be endured, a hoop to jump through, a barrier to be overcome, or a battle to be fought with the “administration”.

It is no wonder that pastors are either envious of trained counselors or leery of them.

But what does a pastor do when his mind doesn’t work? What does he do when he walks through a fog, or does things compulsively that nothing can rationally explain, or becomes terrified of the very things that made him want to become a pastor? What does the pastor do when he needs help, real help.

We’ve already talked about medication, we have and will continue to discuss the need for a Father Confessor and to seek out the Ministry of the Church. But we need to talk about counseling.

Here are a few of my obvservations to get things going. They are in no particular order, and are really meant to encourage conversation, and perhaps get my slightly addled brain going in more directions. Talk amongst yourselves:

  • Not all counselors are created equal. It is easy to get the false view that all counselors (secular, Christian, whatever) are all relativists, want to undermine and downplay sin, place blame somewhere else, and generally engage in psychobabble that is of no real benefit. This was my view all through seminary, and all of my experience with counselors reinforced this view. However, a good counselor may serve as an advocate dealing with insurance matters or your congregation, help you to think more clearly and make decisions when your brain simply doesn’t want to function, serve as a sounding board as you weave your way through the trials that you face without any vested interest, and in many other capacities. We’ll talk about different counseling methods later. In other words, a good counselor may be of great benefit, entirely apart from the Christian faith. In the same way, a bad counselor will only make things worse. Just like doctors, pastors, auto mechanics, and everyone else in the world.
  • Pastors can be “psychologic’ly disturbed. It is a good thing, not a bad thing, to seek help where help is needed. It isn’t a sign of unusual weakness or character flaws or anything to that effect. It is the result of sin, just as is every disease since the Fall. Whether you go the medical route, the psychological route, a combination, or simply try to tough it out on your own (a dumb idea, imho), this is what people do to get better. It’s okay.
  • Christian counselors are a mixed bag. Just like Christianity of all stripes. I am very blessed to have a confessional Lutheran counselor. I think there are about 4 in the world. Lutheran Social Services has a cadre of counselors, and I have heard of many having good success that route. Oftentimes people that put up the shingle as a “Christian” counselor are evangelicals or social liberals. Frankly, you don’t want to have to debate every question about sin and weakenss with your counselor. Yet it’s hard not to when the come from a fundamentally different worldview. But that brings us to the bottom line…
  • Find a counselor your can trust. Christian or secular, evangelical or Roman Catholic or whatever, the foundation of your relationship with a counselor is one of truth. If you don’t trust them (and that is something that takes time and is earned), then you will have a difficult time building a repore. But without that basic trust, little will be accomplished.

Those are a few of my initial thoughts on the subject. It’s tough. I know. I can’t tell you how blessed I am to have a LUTHERAN counselor I can trust, that gets the theology of the cross. But that is rare. You probably won’t find one. It is my hope that perhaps we can start to build a network of Lutheran counselors down the road, ones who understand the theology of the cross and the doctrine of the two kingdoms, which comes so much into play here.

But I know this, friends. Without my counselor, helping me to see the decisions I needed to make, running interference with Concordia/Broadspire/AETNA/Value Options, my congregation, and everyone else, including keeping my family together, and just being there week in week out, well, I’m not sure if I would be alive otherwise.

So don’t rule it out because of bad previous experience. Take your time. Dig around. Ask other pastors you trust. Email me if you want. If I can help, I will. But you all have my prayers . I know what you’re going through. So do many others, chief of which is our Lord Himself, who carries our sorrows and bears our griefs.

-DarkMyRoad

If You're Gonna Be a Pastor, You've Got to Have the Outfit

I have for some time dreaded putting on the uniform. The black and whites. The collar. The physical sign of the Office of Preaching which the Church has recognized for millenia.

I dreaded it because it reminded me of my failures. I dreaded it because of the burden that it represented. All those sins. All those messed up lives of my flock. All of the things that I couldn’t do even if I wanted to do so. I hated wearing it. I would avoid it. I can sympathize with pastors who want to wear ties or polos or clown suits or whatever. It makes the burden of the Office seem less real, more light hearted or business like. Simpler.

This is a trial that any pastor who takes his Call seriously probably undergoes to some degree or another. But depression puts this under a microscope, so that you look at every failure, every disappointed look or unfulfilled promise, as simply one more bit of proof that you are not worthy to exist, that God doesn’t love you, and that nothing really matters anyway. This is why I would argue that while depression is a bio-chemical imbalance or situational in nature, that there is almost inevitably a spiritual element involved. It is hand made for Satan to use to lure us away from the sure promises of the Gospel and into ourselves.

I’ve started wearing my collar again. Maybe it’s a sign of healing. Maybe it’s a sign of understanding on my part. The collar tells me first that A) it’s not my office but Chirst’s), B) I am not alone in anything that I do, and C) That all I have to give is what God has given me to give.

Maybe this isn’t any great revelation for you. It’s something that I learned in seminary from the first time I questioned it. But I am slowing coming back to seeing wearing the collar not as a matter of slavery but liberation. It frees me to have my own problems, wants, desires, and emotions. But it also frees me to give to my sheep what they need, whether I feel like giving it or not.

-DarkMyRoad

Sermonophobia

It’s been months since I’ve really written a sermon.

I love writing sermons. It is why I became a pastor. Others have told me I’m a pretty good preacher.

But I can’t preach. Or perhaps more accurately, I can’t write. I can’t put the thoughts together. I can’t concentrate. I can’t read (even other sermons). The thought of actually stringing together twelve minutes of application of the Word of God, delivering the Gospel, and putting this all together, well, it terrifies me.

Well, the fact that I am writing this to you is a sign that things are getting better. I hope to be well enough to actually write and preach a sermon soon. But we will leave this in the Lord’s hands on the timing of it all.

But I understand the fear of preaching. Anyone who truly understands the character and nature of preaching should have a holy fear of this great and awesome task. With Isaiah we cry out “I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips!” No one is worthy in their own right to preach God’s Word. It is only by the call of God to the Office of Preaching that one can preach at all.

So all of us preachers should have a holy fear of preaching. Like handling dynamite or a live fish, it must be done very carefully in the best of circumstances.

But that really isn’t what I’m talking about here. Depression and anxiety do things to us sermon writers. (These may apply in other areas as well, but I’m talking about getting back into preaching here.) Here’s some of them from depression:

  • It utterly taps your energy. Sermons, if they are done properly, are a lot of work. It is a craft, learned in the school of experience. They are some combination between poetry, prose, persuasive speaking, the way a father speaks to his children, and who knows what else. But if you don’t have the juice to get up in the morning, your run-of-the-mill sermon becomes a mountain looking down at you and laughing.
  • You come to believe everyone is judging you. My sermons aren’t what they used to be. I’m just not my old self. Why don’t I have the fire of my youth?
  • Giving is almost impossible. Depression creates such a blanket and such a darkeness that the act of actually giving to someone else (in the sense of preaching the Gospel) is like a trying to cut your leg off and give it to someone. It is physically painful at times. I’m going to write about this more, because most people don’t realize that depression isn’t simply mental. It is very physical.

Anxiety, on the other hand, does other things:

  • Makes you afraid of other people or situations of stress. While for those pastors who are truly comfortable in the chancel and the pulpit, this may not be so much. But for others, standing in front of 200 people is terrifying.
  • You become afraid you’re going to have a heart attack or something to that effect. Heart racing, mind running a million miles a second (and in suuupppeeerrr sllllooooowwww moooottiiioonnn at the same time due to depression), and you might just pass out from the whole thing.
  • You get a gargantuan desire to simply run away and hide. Not deal with it, people, the situation, whatever. Flee! Run to the hills! Anywhere but there. I have often described anxiety as basically a phobia about everything. Hard to live with, especially while preaching.

So what is the recovering preacher to do? It’s a tough one. But here are a few tips:

  1. Don’t think of this process as a failure you have to live with forever. God heals in His own time and at His own pace. You are not a failure because you’re sick and can’t preach. The fact that you have some desire to get at it again (which may take months or even years to get to that point) is a sign of healing. It will take time, but God, your church, your family, and everyone want you back. You are not a failure.
  2. Start off by using a recycled sermon, but one that is YOURS. I know this isn’t the same as getting things flowing all the way, but it can help you build up confidence to get back into the oratorical saddle.
  3. Try short spurts of work on the sermon. This is hard for me, because I usually sit down and write a sermon in one fell swoop. But it may require rethinking that process. You may not be able to concentrate for that long in one stretch. That’s okay. Things can change. It may take longer for things to percolate. Think of it as a fine wine, rather than an automatic drip coffeemaker.
  4. Pray. Short and sweet if that’s all you’ve got. Kyrie eleison. They are the Lord’s Words, not yours. He will be there for you.

Well there are my thoughts on the challenges of getting back into preaching. Anyone else have something to contribute?

Where Do you Go to Find Help?

“Barely hanging on” raised an extremely important question:

WHERE DO YOU GO TO FIND HELP?

At least in terms of LCMS pastors, this is an area where I believe our church body has almost completely flopped. Most of the resources from the Commission on Ministerial Growth & Health (or whatever the current permutation calls itself) are such yawners that I can barely stand to even look at their stuff. They had better resources a few years ago in some respects, but no one wants to addresss the 900 pound gorilla: Our pastors are hurting and suffering, and no one is really trying to address the issue. We continue to churn out pastors at our seminaries and very poorly trained “pastors” through various mail-order or long-distance programs, but offer little in terms of real resources for help.

Okay, enough ranting. Back to the question. Where do you go to find help?

I think there are several answers to that question. These are in no particular order. Whatever you are most comfortable with is probably best. Also please don’t take these as laws to make you feel guilty about how you’re failing. They are counsel from one who has been on the road for a while. A travel map, if you will, when you are in the fog.

  • Go to your family doctor. Just do it and tell him what’s going on. While depression may feel like it is unique to you, it is tragically common in our over stimulated and ridiculously busy world. Just lay it out. I would urge you to have him refer you to a psychiatrist for prescribing medication. Your family doctor can prescribe anti-depressants and other medications, but get to an expert. (Btw, if you are on one of the permutations of the Concordia Plan, you will need to get prior approval to see a psychiatrist and/or psychologist from AETNA, formerly know as Broadspire. I’ll post on that soon.)
  • Go to your pastor, and if you don’t have a pastor, find one quick. I am very blessed to have the best pastor in the LCMS, but that is the loyalty one should have of their own pastor who speaks the words of our dear Lord in and out of season. This pastor may be a personal friend, although I don’t think that is always the best. The key thing is that the pastor’s pastor must be someone you trust. Tell him what’s going on. The whole story, warts and all. You need to have people that are in your corner who are thinking clearly. I know there are many times (even now) when I am not capable of making intelligent decisions. Someone has to be able to think objectively. Ideally the pastor would be nearby, but I suppose that’s not absolutely necessary either. Pastor Weedon is right. Having a Father Confessor is tremendously helpful.
  • Talk to your wife (or husband). This make come as a shock to you, but they know what’s going on. They may not be able to define it, but they know things are not right. The more your wife understands what’s happening, the better off both of you will be. All she wants is for you to be well. If you’re sick, she will want to help. Depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses require a different kind of help than a broken leg. But she loves you. Don’t hide your fears from her. It’s why you’re married.
  • Explore counseling. I’m not talking about psychobabble. Believe me when I say I have seen psychobabble really close up, and that is not helpful. But a good counselor can serve as a listening post, help to refine your thinking and decision making, give you the experience of one who has helped hundreds or even thousands of patients, and most importantly, understands exactly what you are going through. The trick here is finding a counselor you trust. You may try Lutheran Social Services, or other Christian counseling services in the area. Personally, I am quite leery of most Christian counseling. If it comes from a Reformed background, they are going to root you in the Law, which is the last thing you need. If they come from the liberal wing of Christianity (if it can be called such), they may use a lot of Christian sounding words, but be using a different dictionary. I am very blessed to have just about the only confessional Lutheran counselor in the LCMS. But if I didn’t have my current counselor, I would probably explore going to a more secular counselor. While pastors have a lot of unique challenges to face with mental illness, much of what they face is also common.
  • Tell yours friends what’s going on. There is such a stigma with mental illness, there is this bizarre temptation to hide it from the very people that can help the most. I have 2-3 friends whom I confide in that have been hugely helpful. Don’t be afraid. They are your friends. They’ll help you if they are able, and they will certainly pray for you, check in on you, and the like. Trust them.
  • At some point, consider talking to key members of your congregation. This is perhaps the hardest, because we Super-Pastors don’t want our flock to know that we are weak like they are. It is an arrogance that comes from a false view of the Office, and most of us (imo) succomb to it in one fashion or another. The way congregations receive this knowledge will vary, but I would start by seeking out whomever you trust the most (noticing a theme here?) and confiding in them about what’s happening, and how to approach it with your parish. Since I ended up going on disability, I really needed to tell everyone. At the end, it was the right decision, but it was very scary for a while. Life is like that sometimes.
  • Pray. This is hard, very hard. Even now I can barely pray. But a kyrie eleison goes a long way. Pastor Weedon mentioned in one of the comments that he had never experienced the daily office as pain. I have. It hurts me to pray Matins. I hate it. Drives me crazy. But I can’t. Most people don’t realize that depression and anxiety can cause physical pain, expressed in all kinds of odd ways. But right now for me, the offices are a weight and a burden, not the freedom I know that they truly are. Nevertheless, a little prayer goes a long way, and after all, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness (Romans 8).

This is a start. I know it’s not profound. But this would have been pretty useful to me at the beginning of my journey. I hope it helps you.

So anyone else have any suggestions that I have missed?

-DarkMyRoad

Where Do you Go to Find Help?

“Barely hanging on” raised an extremely important question:

WHERE DO YOU GO TO FIND HELP?

At least in terms of LCMS pastors, this is an area where I believe our church body has almost completely flopped. Most of the resources from the Commission on Ministerial Growth & Health (or whatever the current permutation calls itself) are such yawners that I can barely stand to even look at their stuff. They had better resources a few years ago in some respects, but no one wants to addresss the 900 pound gorilla: Our pastors are hurting and suffering, and no one is really trying to address the issue. We continue to churn out pastors at our seminaries and very poorly trained “pastors” through various mail-order or long-distance programs, but offer little in terms of real resources for help.

Okay, enough ranting. Back to the question. Where do you go to find help?

I think there are several answers to that question. These are in no particular order. Whatever you are most comfortable with is probably best. Also please don’t take these as laws to make you feel guilty about how you’re failing. They are counsel from one who has been on the road for a while. A travel map, if you will, when you are in the fog.

  • Go to your family doctor. Just do it and tell him what’s going on. While depression may feel like it is unique to you, it is tragically common in our over stimulated and ridiculously busy world. Just lay it out. I would urge you to have him refer you to a psychiatrist for prescribing medication. Your family doctor can prescribe anti-depressants and other medications, but get to an expert. (Btw, if you are on one of the permutations of the Concordia Plan, you will need to get prior approval to see a psychiatrist and/or psychologist from AETNA, formerly know as Broadspire. I’ll post on that soon.)
  • Go to your pastor, and if you don’t have a pastor, find one quick. I am very blessed to have the best pastor in the LCMS, but that is the loyalty one should have of their own pastor who speaks the words of our dear Lord in and out of season. This pastor may be a personal friend, although I don’t think that is always the best. The key thing is that the pastor’s pastor must be someone you trust. Tell him what’s going on. The whole story, warts and all. You need to have people that are in your corner who are thinking clearly. I know there are many times (even now) when I am not capable of making intelligent decisions. Someone has to be able to think objectively. Ideally the pastor would be nearby, but I suppose that’s not absolutely necessary either. Pastor Weedon is right. Having a Father Confessor is tremendously helpful.
  • Talk to your wife (or husband). This make come as a shock to you, but they know what’s going on. They may not be able to define it, but they know things are not right. The more your wife understands what’s happening, the better off both of you will be. All she wants is for you to be well. If you’re sick, she will want to help. Depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses require a different kind of help than a broken leg. But she loves you. Don’t hide your fears from her. It’s why you’re married.
  • Explore counseling. I’m not talking about psychobabble. Believe me when I say I have seen psychobabble really close up, and that is not helpful. But a good counselor can serve as a listening post, help to refine your thinking and decision making, give you the experience of one who has helped hundreds or even thousands of patients, and most importantly, understands exactly what you are going through. The trick here is finding a counselor you trust. You may try Lutheran Social Services, or other Christian counseling services in the area. Personally, I am quite leery of most Christian counseling. If it comes from a Reformed background, they are going to root you in the Law, which is the last thing you need. If they come from the liberal wing of Christianity (if it can be called such), they may use a lot of Christian sounding words, but be using a different dictionary. I am very blessed to have just about the only confessional Lutheran counselor in the LCMS. But if I didn’t have my current counselor, I would probably explore going to a more secular counselor. While pastors have a lot of unique challenges to face with mental illness, much of what they face is also common.
  • Tell yours friends what’s going on. There is such a stigma with mental illness, there is this bizarre temptation to hide it from the very people that can help the most. I have 2-3 friends whom I confide in that have been hugely helpful. Don’t be afraid. They are your friends. They’ll help you if they are able, and they will certainly pray for you, check in on you, and the like. Trust them.
  • At some point, consider talking to key members of your congregation. This is perhaps the hardest, because we Super-Pastors don’t want our flock to know that we are weak like they are. It is an arrogance that comes from a false view of the Office, and most of us (imo) succomb to it in one fashion or another. The way congregations receive this knowledge will vary, but I would start by seeking out whomever you trust the most (noticing a theme here?) and confiding in them about what’s happening, and how to approach it with your parish. Since I ended up going on disability, I really needed to tell everyone. At the end, it was the right decision, but it was very scary for a while. Life is like that sometimes.
  • Pray. This is hard, very hard. Even now I can barely pray. But a kyrie eleison goes a long way. Pastor Weedon mentioned in one of the comments that he had never experienced the daily office as pain. I have. It hurts me to pray Matins. I hate it. Drives me crazy. But I can’t. Most people don’t realize that depression and anxiety can cause physical pain, expressed in all kinds of odd ways. But right now for me, the offices are a weight and a burden, not the freedom I know that they truly are. Nevertheless, a little prayer goes a long way, and after all, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness (Romans 8).

This is a start. I know it’s not profound. But this would have been pretty useful to me at the beginning of my journey. I hope it helps you.

So anyone else have any suggestions that I have missed?

-DarkMyRoad

A couple thoughts on drugs

We’ll talk about drugs more later, but here is my initial take on drugs. (Remember, I’m a pastor, not a doctor, Jim!)

1. Drugs are good. It’s First Article stuff. Whether you are talking about natural or homeopathic remedies, or good ole fashion home grown medication, it is a gift from God. It is part of how God takes care of us through the means of doctors, diet, medication, counseling, etc. Of course, the chief thing for the Christian is the strengthening of the faith by Word and Sacrament. This may not make you feel better (there’s another post for ya), but it certainly is the most important.

2. It is not a sign of weakness to take medication. If your children were sick, you would give them medicine. If your leg was broken, you you wear a cast an probably take pain medication. While opinions and mileage may vary, most experts suggest that depression and anxiety is about 70% biochemical. What that means among other things is that it is very difficult to overcome depression and anxiety disorder without medication.

3. It is a sign of weakness to take medication. Yes, I know, this is a bit of a paradox. But part of what we pastors have to come to realize is that A) We’re human, B) We’re fallible, C) We can succomb to sickness and disease as much as the next sinner, and that D) that doesn’t make us a bad pastor or a bad person. That means that Christ has come for us. Our Lord knows that pastors are weak and in need of His strength and healing. It is arrogance and pride on our part to believe that we can do all things without Christ who strengthens us.

4. When dealing with medication, go to the right kind of doctor. Many general practitioners will prescribe anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, etc etc etc. While this may work, I don’t recommend going this way. All medication is a bit of hit and miss, and this is especially true when it comes to medication that affects the mind. Go to a psychiatrist. Talk about your family history. Get whatever tests needs to be done. But if you are serious about wanting to get better, then go to the doctor who can help with the medication part of it.

5. Medication isn’t everything. While medication is a key component (in my opinion), it isn’t everything. I have found counseling absolutely invaluable. I have found having a faithful pastor to be more precious than jewels. My family (esp my wife) have supported me in ways that I can never repay. My congregation has also given me amazing support (we’ll talk about that more later). All of these things sort of run together.

So anyway, there’s my thoughts on drugs for the day. FWIW, I’ve been on Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Clonazepam, Trazedone, Xanax, and a few other things along the way.

Be at peace.

-DarkMyRoad

Lists…lists….lists….oh my!

Lists.

I’ve come to sort of hate lists. Yes, I know they are necessary. Yes, it’s a great way to organize, etc., etc., etc. But they remind me so clearly about what I am NOT able to do much more than what I am able to do.

I find that being responsible for something with a deadline (a sermon, an article, a chore) is utterly exhausting. It’s difficult to explain. And as one of our commentators noted, there is this blurry line beween what you can’t do and what you don’t want to do.

The real trick, of course, is first of all making the distinction, second prioritizing, and third being at peace with whatever you are not able to do. For someone with some serious OCD tendencies (not to mention Super-Pastor Syndrome), the concept of making a list and then saying “I can’t do this” is utterly foreign to me.

But I can’t. It’s just not there. I go until I turn into a zombie. Find myself staring at a wall or a tree or something. Stuff keep going by and there isn’t a thing I can do about it. I am trapped in my own mind.

Now I would like it better if there was some sort of “take two bible passages and call me in the morning” answer to this. Be joyful in the Lord! Pray the daily office! Go to confession! I look at a passage like Isaiah 40 and wonder:

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)

Notice in here the future tense. They shall. They shall. They shall. They shall. It will happen. But we know not when. At least not precisely.

So it comes back to hope once again. Hope in what you cannot see, in what you cannot feel or know with your mind. But that is the essence of faith. Hope in the Lord will never dissapoint. Healing will come. Things will be better in time and certainly in eternity in Christ Jesus. And there we find hope.

So the lists go on. I look at them, do what I can, and rest in Christ, knowing that God will take care of what I cannot.

-DarkMyRoad

Lists…lists….lists….oh my!

Lists.

I’ve come to sort of hate lists. Yes, I know they are necessary. Yes, it’s a great way to organize, etc., etc., etc. But they remind me so clearly about what I am NOT able to do much more than what I am able to do.

I find that being responsible for something with a deadline (a sermon, an article, a chore) is utterly exhausting. It’s difficult to explain. And as one of our commentators noted, there is this blurry line beween what you can’t do and what you don’t want to do.

The real trick, of course, is first of all making the distinction, second prioritizing, and third being at peace with whatever you are not able to do. For someone with some serious OCD tendencies (not to mention Super-Pastor Syndrome), the concept of making a list and then saying “I can’t do this” is utterly foreign to me.

But I can’t. It’s just not there. I go until I turn into a zombie. Find myself staring at a wall or a tree or something. Stuff keep going by and there isn’t a thing I can do about it. I am trapped in my own mind.

Now I would like it better if there was some sort of “take two bible passages and call me in the morning” answer to this. Be joyful in the Lord! Pray the daily office! Go to confession! I look at a passage like Isaiah 40 and wonder:

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)

Notice in here the future tense. They shall. They shall. They shall. They shall. It will happen. But we know not when. At least not precisely.

So it comes back to hope once again. Hope in what you cannot see, in what you cannot feel or know with your mind. But that is the essence of faith. Hope in the Lord will never dissapoint. Healing will come. Things will be better in time and certainly in eternity in Christ Jesus. And there we find hope.

So the lists go on. I look at them, do what I can, and rest in Christ, knowing that God will take care of what I cannot.

-DarkMyRoad

On Fireworks and other Events I've Missed

I’m sitting at home tonight alone. My family is off doing the annual fireworks display thing downtown. I can’t go. The noise. The people. The clutter. The questions from my children. I just can’t take it. It would wear me down. My brain would overload. I would get nervous and jittery, like too much caffeine. Then I would start to shut down. I would turn into a zombie. Staring into space, praying for the noise to stop.

It’s not that I don’t like fireworks. Okay, truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of fireworks. But we’ve always gone to the fireworks. It’s what you do on the 4th. Duh. But not this year for me. I just couldn’t take it.

This is, of course, simply one of many examples of things I have missed because of my illnesses. Between depression and anxiety (two illnesses that often go hand in hand), I have missed a lot over the years. Graduations. Confirmations. Birthdays. Recitals. Even little things like walks to the park, extended family events. The list could go on and on.

And this is just family, of course. If we started to talk about church, I’m not even sure where to begin. For me, the most obvious and painful is preaching and teaching. I love preaching and teaching. It’s why I became a pastor. Yet my mind doesn’t’ allow me to function well enough right now to do it. I used to be just numb to this. Now I’m more anxious to get back into things. I’m sure my counselor would tell me this is a good sign.

But whether we’re talking about family or church or other parts of life, the reality is that depression and anxiety just plain change things. You can’t do these things. At least for a time.

How are we to deal with this? If you’re like me. There is:

  • Guilt. I believe I should be able to do all the things I “normally” do. But if I had a broken leg, would I feel guilty for not being able to walk? Maybe, but it would be pretty silly. Why do we believe this is different?
  • Shame. I’m embarrased that I am so weak and incapable. (This, btw, is a kissing cousin to pride.) The concept of weakness and suffering is one that does not come easily to pastors, especially younger pastors. We may know all the right answers about suffering, but it is different when one is in the middle of it.
  • Relief. I know I can’t do these things, and so it is liberating to be free of them, at least for a time. A period of rest (sabbatical? Sabbathical?) is a good thing. But we are so programmed to GO GO GO until we drop, that this relief is often fleeting. So, it leads back to guilt.
  • Creepy Despair. Will I ever be able to do the things I enjoy again? Or have I given them up for good? Despair is really more of a theological term than a medical one in my opinion. See the Sixth Petition. Satan causes despair by using the events in our lives to lead us away from where our confidence lies (Christ and His Gifts) and onto ourselves, or something or someone else. Despair is creepy, and it creeps in to the most unsuspecting places.
  • Hope. This is the most elusive of them. Relief from the responsibilities of life for a time is a gift and a good things. It’s hard to see. Hope is like that. But it will come, as sure as the morning. Even when you don’t feel it. Even if you can’t see it. It will be there.

Every day I go through these. Sometimes one more than another. The hope took months to come. Even the relief took time. But I have been able to look at things now a little differently, thanks to medication, counseling, a supporting family and congregation, the the prayers of many friends.

So how do you deal with these and other results of a changed lifestyle? What have I missed?

-DarkMyRoad

On Fireworks and other Events I've Missed

I’m sitting at home tonight alone. My family is off doing the annual fireworks display thing downtown. I can’t go. The noise. The people. The clutter. The questions from my children. I just can’t take it. It would wear me down. My brain would overload. I would get nervous and jittery, like too much caffeine. Then I would start to shut down. I would turn into a zombie. Staring into space, praying for the noise to stop.

It’s not that I don’t like fireworks. Okay, truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of fireworks. But we’ve always gone to the fireworks. It’s what you do on the 4th. Duh. But not this year for me. I just couldn’t take it.

This is, of course, simply one of many examples of things I have missed because of my illnesses. Between depression and anxiety (two illnesses that often go hand in hand), I have missed a lot over the years. Graduations. Confirmations. Birthdays. Recitals. Even little things like walks to the park, extended family events. The list could go on and on.

And this is just family, of course. If we started to talk about church, I’m not even sure where to begin. For me, the most obvious and painful is preaching and teaching. I love preaching and teaching. It’s why I became a pastor. Yet my mind doesn’t’ allow me to function well enough right now to do it. I used to be just numb to this. Now I’m more anxious to get back into things. I’m sure my counselor would tell me this is a good sign.

But whether we’re talking about family or church or other parts of life, the reality is that depression and anxiety just plain change things. You can’t do these things. At least for a time.

How are we to deal with this? If you’re like me. There is:

  • Guilt. I believe I should be able to do all the things I “normally” do. But if I had a broken leg, would I feel guilty for not being able to walk? Maybe, but it would be pretty silly. Why do we believe this is different?
  • Shame. I’m embarrased that I am so weak and incapable. (This, btw, is a kissing cousin to pride.) The concept of weakness and suffering is one that does not come easily to pastors, especially younger pastors. We may know all the right answers about suffering, but it is different when one is in the middle of it.
  • Relief. I know I can’t do these things, and so it is liberating to be free of them, at least for a time. A period of rest (sabbatical? Sabbathical?) is a good thing. But we are so programmed to GO GO GO until we drop, that this relief is often fleeting. So, it leads back to guilt.
  • Creepy Despair. Will I ever be able to do the things I enjoy again? Or have I given them up for good? Despair is really more of a theological term than a medical one in my opinion. See the Sixth Petition. Satan causes despair by using the events in our lives to lead us away from where our confidence lies (Christ and His Gifts) and onto ourselves, or something or someone else. Despair is creepy, and it creeps in to the most unsuspecting places.
  • Hope. This is the most elusive of them. Relief from the responsibilities of life for a time is a gift and a good things. It’s hard to see. Hope is like that. But it will come, as sure as the morning. Even when you don’t feel it. Even if you can’t see it. It will be there.

Every day I go through these. Sometimes one more than another. The hope took months to come. Even the relief took time. But I have been able to look at things now a little differently, thanks to medication, counseling, a supporting family and congregation, the the prayers of many friends.

So how do you deal with these and other results of a changed lifestyle? What have I missed?

-DarkMyRoad