Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope

Sharing and Confessing

I’m thrilled, excited, and a bit terrified as my book is published today. TODAY! Part of me can’t believe it’s finally happening after all the years of waiting to be published and wanting to share a story with all of you wonderful readers. But this story? This raw, bleeding, broken story of healing and hope? It’s like I’m inviting all of you into my mess.

Welcome! Welcome into this mess! Don’t mind the broken dreams strewn about the floor, step over those. See instead the beautiful flowers of hope in the vase gracing the center of our table of joy. God put those there, let’s scoot up to the table and talk about what He’s done with my pain and what He can do with your pain. Don’t ignore the fact that I have to wear sunglasses to handle the bright light streaming in from the windows, but recognize I have stepped out of the darkness and I’m willing to see and be seen.

Welcome! Come in and let’s confess together our stories so we can pray and hope together. We can share where we went wrong (because I have taken some wrong turns, maybe you have, too). We can read His Word and discover what He’s up to, and if not exactly what He’s up to (perhaps it’s all a big surprise we won’t get to see till much later) we can at last KNOW He is in control and He is up to something grand that will make others gasp and KNOW He is a good God. The God of HOPE.

Reconnecting and Relaxing

I know it sounds odd, it sounds unbelievable that maybe these broken shards can be pieced back together. Perhaps your pain isn’t physical, but still, your life seems a mess you need to hide. You don’t even want to look at it yourself, how can you invite someone else to help you walk through it? You’ve found yourself withdrawing, found yourself disconnecting from those you once counted on. I don’t know all the reasons you may have disconnected, but let this be the first step you take in stepping back into the light.

There’s supposed to be a formula for living life correctly, isn’t there? It looks Pinterest-perfect, Instagram-worthy. Years ago I set myself on this path to what I thought would be success and I fell apart. In pursuing publishing this small, strange little book, I’ve been tempted to fall into those bad habits again, but I’m stepping away from all of that. I’m trusting that even though experts say “this is how to be successful” it’s not right for my family or my physical/mental well-being. We need to learn to relax, to truly rest, to heal with the support of family and friends who love us. Christ very specifically said to come to Him, all who are weary. Are you tired? I know I am and I want to fall into His arms and let Him carry me. I’m ready to let go of this strain and relax, even if that means “success” will look very different for me. Can we do that together, trust that the plans He has for us are going to look different, but we can trust Him with them?

The Truth About Healing

So, yes, I’m frightened. I know I’m not doing any of this the “correct” way. But I pray we can share the hope of God each time we share this blog or the link to this book or the pictures I’m posting across social media with quotes from the book and the Bible. I praise God for each of you and thank you for being on this journey with me. Please purchase your copy here. If you cannot afford it, please let me know by contacting me, and I will make sure you receive a free electronic copy of the Bible study.

Photo credit: collage – John Reign Abarintos, Aaron Burden, Aaron Burden, Johann Siemens, Priscilla du Preez; Lobostudio Hamburg; Ewelina Karezona Karbowiak

A special thank you to Sheryl Chan for offering another chance to connect with the chronic illness community.