Better Pack a Lunch – A First Attempt at Healing Bipolar
Sharon had been admitted to the emergency department for an episode of depression related to bipolar disorder. She moved herself to the gurney and began fastening the seat belts. I gave my partner a puzzled look. No one puts the seat belts on themselves. She asked the nurse to hand her the brown paper bag sitting on the counter. “What’s in there? I asked. “My lunch.” “You brought your own lunch to the hospital?” “Sure did….
Healing Mental Illness – A Matter of Love
I had a dream on the night of July 12. In the dream I watched people being treated for mental illness as they transitioned from a hospital to a mental health treatment facility. In some of the scenes, patients were treated rudely and without compassion. This made their condition worse. In some scenes, they were treated with compassion, understanding, and love – which made their condition better. Some dreams don’t need much interpretation. This is…
A New Season – Healing Mental Illness
On Sunday night (the 24th) I had a dream about healing people with mental illness. In the dream, I met people from my past. Each person had some type of mental illness. As I spent time with them, something I said or did set them free of it. In this season of “new things,” it appears that we’ll be solving one more part of the healing puzzle. I feel pretty confident in the realm of…
Ninety Minutes With Mary
“Help me, doctor. I don’t feel good.” “I know you don’t feel good, Mary. That’s why we’re at the hospital.” “Doctor…I’m in a lot of pain. You gotta help me.” “I’m sorry Mary. I know you’re in pain.” “You don’t know, doctor. You have no idea how bad it hurts.” We arrived and took our place in line behind another crew at the registration desk. As we waited in the emergency room hallway for a bed, Mary struggled…
Set Free
There are many models of personal evangelism used in the church. Some people lead a new convert in saying the sinner’s prayer, some explain the four spiritual laws, or travel the “Romans road.” I seldom use any of these approaches. They seem rigid and they tend to assume a great deal about the person, which may not be true. I see every encounter as unique. I prefer to let each relationship develop naturally, without a…