A couple of people are kindly asking what happened in our home last night. I will say this: Mental illness, substance abuse, and inconsistent use of medications cause people to behave in erratic ways. The effects of these choices strain families and cause pain. And, frankly, you can not help someone who doesnt want the help. One policeman viewed the video Matt recorded and told the offender I think your father needs to take you out in the back yard getting in your moms face and lobbing the f-bomb at her like that. So, we tried, again, unsuccessfully to get help--either from police or med/psych. Meanwhile, one girl has heard threats so often that she is plagued with nightmares of me being killed and the other wet herself in fear and went to church like that. Why am I sharing this? Because some of you pray and we need that cover. Because others go through this type of stuff and feel alone in it. Because my lifes not perfect, but its real. My lifes not perfect, but my God is. Because hope is a candle in the dark. Peace of mind is the light that shines from the candle of hope when the dark presses in. The light of that peace of mind keeps us from stumbling in the dark as it flickers, dances, in the soul that holds it tenderly--it pushes off the dark and cold as we step closer to the fulfillment of our hope, which lies in the future. Peace. Peace is the putting back together of the fragments of the broken, wholeness, forgiveness. So with peace of mind I share because, I believe, even though our situations have great differences, we are headed to the same place of Peace, Hope, fulfilled. Its no surprise that these are names of advent candles: Hope, Peace, and Joy. Oh, and joy? Joy is that smile, even in the dark, that cuts through the pain; believing, in hope, that peace is seen in the morning when the Son rises again. Advent. His coming. Hes coming--again. That keeps me smiling a genuine smile--in hope and peace of mind.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:00:29 +0000