Meet the Healer

Find Healing through Jesus Christ

Monthly Archives: August 2014


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Hope and a Future

imageSeed of Hope

“I have paranoid thoughts all the time,” Barry told us. “Voices in my head.” As he shared more, it was evident that Barry had a number of difficulties in his life, compounded by mental health issues.

We began to pray, and within a minute or two, Barry interrupted us. “They’re gone!” he exclaimed. “Those thoughts have stopped. My head feels clear.” He looked surprised. “I feel kind of peaceful.”

Barry’s mental health issues were not all healed in an instant, during those few minutes of prayer. I’ve seen him since, and he still takes medication and has ongoing support mechanisms in place. However, something shifted that day. Perhaps a seed of hope was planted.

In the wake of Robin Williams’ death, there has been a torrent of articles and blog posts about depression, suicide and mental health. In all honesty, I felt pressure to post something substantial, something that carried some weight, something that would maybe turn things around for good in people’s lives. This is a healing blog, after all!

Yet, what could I usefully add to some of the insightful posts already published? How could I achieve the right balance of compassion and sensitivity; not underestimating the desperate circumstances that some people find themselves in; not merely giving platitudes; yet speaking words that give hope? I confess, I didn’t think my response would be adequate.

Stigma

As a child, I had my first encounter with someone experiencing severe mental and emotional distress. A distant picture memory of my great aunt is indelibly etched into my mind. I remember her shuffling around in her dressing gown and slippers, a blank, desperate stare on her face, with the appearance of a hunted fugitive. The family only seemed to mention her name in whispers. Mental illness had shame and stigma attached to it in that former generation.

A subtle threat seemed to hang over me. If I didn’t pull myself together and toughen up, then perhaps I, too, would be sent off to the hospital, becoming institutionalised and forgotten, my name spoken in hushed tones. Perhaps my Mom meant it as a joke, (though it didn’t seem remotely funny to me), or perhaps it was her unspoken fear, manifesting in verbal threats: “If you’re not careful, they’ll come to take you away.”

Thankfully, there is more positive awareness and less stigma surrounding mental health issues today. Having had personal experience of living with people who have bipolar disorder, and who have been suicidal at times, I have seen first hand the devastating effects this can have, on both the sufferers, and on those closest to them. Yes, this subject gets very personal for me.

Healing Process

As a teenager, continuing into my adult life, I struggled with depression and anxiety. Although I may have appeared functional on the outside, it impacted my work and relationships, making it difficult to maintain any security and stability in my life.

For me, healing has been a process over time. There has been some quite dramatic inner healing, through prayer, coupled with the healing that has happened more gradually, through experiencing the love of God and the love of friends, whom I call my spiritual family.

Taking the Masks Offimage

In the course of praying for many different people over a number of years, one thing stands out very clearly to me. Once we
start sharing our hurts, our fears, our personal battles, it quickly becomes apparent we are not alone. Taking our masks off and reaching out for help, in a safe environment, with trustworthy people, can be liberating.

Despite all our technology, and the ability to connect with one another at the touch of a button, through phones and social media, etc, so many people feel isolated, fearful and lonely.

Do I believe Jesus can heal mental and emotional distress? Yes, I do.

I believe, too, that there is a universal human need to belong. Acceptance in a community of friends or family, who love and understand us, can be so important in sustaining good mental and emotional health.

Wonderfully Made

Having freedom to discover our unique identity and purpose in this life can also help us move towards healing and wholeness.

“You are… wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139)

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

You matter. Your life is valuable. There is hope and a future.

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Forgive Yourself

When God Speaks About Loss

Cheryl visited our stall, while we were giving destiny readings at an event in the city. Spread out on a table before us, was a selection of random, everyday objects, which we used merely as prompts, while asking the Holy Spirit to give us prophetic words for people.

imageScanning the objects on the table briefly, Cheryl gently picked up the nappy pins, with decorative pink and blue heads. Years ago, when babies wore the old fashioned kind of cloth nappies, these were a familiar item in family homes.

My friend, who was on the stall with me, glanced across, meeting my eyes. Both of us were sensing Cheryl’s pain and loss.

My recollection of the words we spoke to Cheryl is vague. Something about her son. What I do recall most clearly is that God prompted me to affirm Cheryl, speaking positive words about her being a good Mom.

Burden of Blame

Hearing this, Cheryl dissolved into tears, sharing how her adult son had been killed in a motorbike accident. How she wished she had told him to take the car that fateful day! She felt that it was all her fault.

Holding her hand, but not wanting to intrude on this moment, we let her cry. God’s loving presence was so tangible, and He was bringing healing to Cheryl’s wounded heart, without our interference.

“It’s not your fault. You need to forgive yourself.” Very sensitively, we repeated this more than once, until, finally, Cheryl’s expression changed from despair to hope. As we prayed with Cheryl, we encouraged her to surrender all the pain and the feelings of guilt she had been carrying to Jesus.

Letting Go

imageBereavement is a different journey for each individual, and I had not walked in Cheryl’s shoes. I could only imagine the devastating heartbreak of losing her son, and the torment of blaming herself for many years. The questions, the guilt, the memories, the might have beens. The only thing I can say with certainty is that Jesus ministered to this precious lady, and she stepped into new freedom that day.

This burden – this inability to forgive herself for her son’s death – was a powerful force in Cheryl’s life, preventing her from moving forwards. This burden, that Cheryl had been carrying around for many years, which may have taken numerous specialist counselling sessions to resolve, fell away in a matter of a few minutes.

(Note: My experience is that Jesus sometimes sets people free of specific emotional wounds very quickly. This is not to say that I do not also acknowledge the wonderful work that many counsellors and therapists do, and that healing can occur through counselling, too. I also recognise that healing from deep emotional trauma is often a process, rather than a one off event).

The Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is so powerful. Going through life with a heavy burden of guilt for failings, either real or imagined, can be agonising and unfulfilling. Yet, for some of us, forgiving ourselves can be more challenging than forgiving others, who have hurt us.

If you are carrying a burden of guilt, I encourage you to let it go. Maybe that is the last bastion; the last line of defence against letting yourself receive healing. As you allow God’s unconditional love to reach into your heart, you can learn to love yourself.

Do you have experience of coming to terms with loss? Or experience of the power of forgiveness? Please feel free to share in the comments below. And if you would like us to pray for you, please check out our prayer requests page.