Holy Care for the Whole SelfНамуна

Your Struggles Are Valid

“Aaaa—chhoo!” I sneezed.

“God bless you,” my daughter Mallory said.
And then I sneezed again and again, and my eyes started watering.
I glanced around: the striped couch, the smooth tiled floor of the beach condo we rented, and the blanket I’d draped across my lap. “I think it might be this blanket. Or maybe the couch. Somebody probably had their dog in here.”

My family rallied, asking if I was okay and stepping in to make sure I was healthy and safe. Everyone else in our family was fine. Yet everyone acknowledged I needed help. That my problem was valid.

See, I’m allergic to any animal with fur. And although we were in a pet-free unit, if the owner had brought a blanket from home where his cat lived, a maintenance person had brought her dog while fixing the sink, or any other furry interaction had taken place, I could be sneezing all week.

When you’re allergic to something, it affects you but possibly no one else. It’s similar to our mental health. A crowd might trigger anxiety for you but not for your friends who walked into the same jam-packed restaurant. A setback in your budget could cause an onset of depression for you while your sister calmly crunches numbers to make dollars stretch. Seeing a certain object or hearing a song could trigger a memory of past trauma for you, while the rest of the world seems oblivious to the fact that you sense danger. But your mental health triggers are as real as my allergies are. Just because no one else in the room is experiencing those same symptoms doesn’t mean they’re not valid or don’t deserve attention. They are. And they do.

Your needs are real to Jesus. He sees you. He loves you. He wants healing for you.

Jesus acknowledged a blind man named Bartimaeus, whom the crowd dismissed and told him to be quiet. The crowd didn’t have time for Bartimaeus and his problems, but Jesus did.

Jesus called Bartimaeus over and healed him in the midst of a crowd. Was this so everyone could see how much Bartimaeus mattered to the Lord? That we all matter to our Savior? That no one should be ignored when they’re struggling? I like to think so.

Jesus sees us, too. He longs for us to call out to Him in our need. He wants to help. He wants to guide you on a path to healing.

When the insecurities rise. When your hands shake or your vision blurs. When you feel the tightness in your chest. Jesus is the one who always sees you, acknowledges that your issues are valid, and never wants you to go through this alone. This doesn’t usually mean that our mental health is forever healed, although I have, on rare occasions, seen that happen. But Jesus helps us find a way back to stability, a step toward recovery, a breath to calm us down.

Your issues matter. You are worthy of care. Just like my family saw me sneezing on vacation and helped immediately. Just like Jesus saw Bartimaeus when no one else would give him the time of day, drew him close, and healed him on the spot. Jesus sees you. He loves you. He cares.

–Taken from Holy Care for the Whole Self: Biblical Wisdom for Mental and Spiritual Well-Being by Laura L. Smith. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread Publishing®, Grand Rapids, MI. All rights reserved. Further distribution is prohibited without written permission from Our Daily Bread Publishing® at permissionsdept@odb.org

BIO:

Bestselling author and speaker Laura L. Smith tears down lies so we can live in truth. She loves Jesus, her prince charming of a husband, their four kids, music, a good book, dark chocolate, and travel. She’s also a huge fan of counseling. Her newest book, Holy Care for the Whole Self: Biblical Wisdom for Mental and Spiritual Well-Being, released February 6, 2024.

Laura lives in the picturesque college town of Oxford, Ohio, where you’ll find her running the wooded trails, strolling the brick streets, shopping at the Saturday morning farmer’s market, or going on a sunset walk with her family. Visit her website at www.laurasmithauthor.com or find her on Instagram @laurasmithauthor