There are times in everyone’s lives when they have a hard time settling down their thoughts and being at rest.  It can be caused by stress, worry, excitement or a myriad of other reasons.  I can recall it happening to me several times, but especially when I was a kid, the night before the first day of school, my mind would be filled with so many thoughts that it was hard to rest.  When I was a kid there weren’t summer camps, sports, and social media to keep kids connected over the summer, like they do today. 

I would be worried about what I would wear, if I needed all of the school supplies the first day, if I’d remember my locker combination, and honestly if any of my friends from the previous year would remember me (mostly because I moved around a lot and didn’t have those long-time connections like being classmates in pre-school).

I thought the racing mind was just something that happened occasionally to people, until I met my husband.  His mind is churning a thousand miles a minute, thinking, planning, worrying and so much more.  Honestly, I get tired sometimes watching him think 😉 but what my husband deals with is just an overactive brain.

There are people in the world whose minds are never at rest because they are filled with traumatic events, stress, grief, and what is finally becoming something people feel comfortable talking about, mental illness.  Five or ten years ago people kept it to themselves if they were taking medication or needed to be hospitalized because they needed assistance regulating thoughts, emotions and how to process information.

I feel one of the repercussions of COVID and everyone staying at home, caused a lot of people to crawl up into themselves like a turtle and it stirred up a lot of angst.  The first reading this week is from Ecclesiastes, chapter 1:2 and 2:21-23, to me, it opened the door for me to say, if you, in the two years since the world shut down because of COVID feel like a lesser version of yourself, you MUST find some help to navigate back into the world.  If you suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, PTSD, or any other form of mental illness, please talk to someone who will listen and guide you to find yourself again.

I recently had a day when I felt like at every turn, someone was slamming a door in my face, and nothing was turning out right.  It was just one day for me, but I know there are people who don’t have the support system that I have (and for me that includes God).  For some people, this is an everyday emotion which causes them to be paralyzed and unable to enjoy things they usually would enjoy.  It causes them to push family and friends away, so they won’t see this different version of the person they used to be.

I write this message, maybe not for you, but it could be for someone you know and love.  I believe the scripture is God saying that it is important to be reaching out and paying attention.  It is a reminder that as a disciple, you are called to love Him AND your neighbor.  After the time of stay at home, I think people want to be seen, after not being seen for so long. 

This means there might be someone you know who could use a little encouragement or to be reminded that they are important to you.  Your positive words can help turn a bad day or a day that is headed in that direction into a brighter day.  I’m not saying you can cure mental illness with some positive words, but I am saying that every human likes to be seen and be told that they are loved and that they matter.

Again, I think there is an important message in the scripture this week and it is to take care of yourself AND others.  Not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually too.  Reach out to someone you have spoken to for a while to check in to make sure they are okay and that you care about their wellbeing.  This is what God calls His children to do!