May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  I doubt that this theme will be lifted up through our national news, still it is a time to spread the word as best we can.  The fact of the matter is that the mental health of many has been challenged during this past year.  Our struggle with covid-19 and the relational "fall out" from a hostile election have taken a toll on many.  A physician friend of mine told me recently that many of her patients had suffered "set-backs" in their physical health over the past year.  I believe that the professional counseling community would say that this has also been true for many regarding their mental health....

Recently my wife and I were enjoying a restful Sunday afternoon when an awful "crashing" sound caused us to look into our garage:  the ceiling had fallen in.  At the time we had no idea what had caused the collapse, but we immediately knew we had a big mess.  It took several days to clear out ceiling panel and insulation.  It took several additional days to move items from our garage into storage so that workers could begin their repairs.  It was hard to believe how quickly things had gone from "relaxation and peace" to "shock and chaos."  But sometimes life is just like that:  on the surface all is going well, but then "the ceiling crashes in!"  What do we do when we are awakened to discover that life is now a mess?...

There is a fault that I will confess to.  It's not something new, rather it is a tendency that I have struggled with for years.  The fault is my tendency to try to keep working even when my body is telling me it's time to rest.  My guess is that I'm not alone in this struggle...