Faith & Healing • 7 min read

Ask Me How I Know

Empty chair near a window with a closed Bible and red ribbon, light pouring in

Recently, my life was dramatically changed. It took me coming to the brink of death to realize that something had to give. I lost my spark, my legs, and most of all, my joy—so Daddy, the source of my joy, had to intervene.

It left me with some powerful lessons that have changed my outlook on life.

The overarching lesson:
Good mental health cannot coexist with constant multitasking.

This would greatly diminish my quality of life because I could not be present in any given moment. My body was there while my mind was elsewhere. There were great expectations, people to please, and tasks to complete. I had so many irons in the fire that I could not enjoy the fire.

So, what were those lessons?

Lesson 1: Recognize

It was important for me to see me how God sees me and not the way others do. Regardless of my given name, Daddy had a name He felt was fitting for me.

Genesis 32:27–28 (ESV)
“And he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

Lesson 2: Prioritize

I needed to make intimacy with God a priority. How can I do His will if I am not spending the time to know what that will is? Jesus would often pull away in order to replenish.

Mark 6:31 (ESV)
“And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”

Lesson 3: Strategize

Sacrificing my mental health was non-negotiable. I needed to invest in myself, since Daddy invested in me through sacrificing His Son. That was a costly investment, and He deserves a great Return on Investment.

Luke 14:28–32 (ESV)
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise… all who see it begin to mock him… Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able…?”

Lesson 4: Deputize

Last time I checked, there was not a cape around my neck or magic in my fingers. The things that needed to be done by others needed to be assigned to them—and I needed to allow them to do them.

Exodus 18:13–23 (ESV)
“What you are doing is not good… You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone… If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

These lessons didn’t come from theory. They came from survival. They came from mercy.

If you are reading this while carrying too much, moving too fast, and trying to be everything for everyone—let this be your reminder: slow down, breathe, and choose God’s pace.

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Ready for discernment? The Judas series starts here.

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