Cast all your anxiety on him because God cares for you.
— Contemporary English Bible
Henri Nouwen tells the story about going to see the circus when he was a child.
When he saw the trapeze artists he told his father he wanted to fly like that. After the performance Henri’s father took him to meet the troop and when Henri said the same thing to the leader, the man replied; “Henri, everyone applauds for me because when I do those leaps and back flips, they think I’m the hero. But the real hero is the catcher. The only thing I have to do is stretch out my hands and trust; trust that they will be there to catch me.”
May is Mental Health month. At one time or another, we all deal with mental health challenges. When that happens we need a hero to catch us.
At an event recently, we were given a little Circle of Support card and inside were five blank spaces to fill in with the names of people who will be heroes in your circle of support; a person you can trust; someone you can talk to; someone who won’t judge you; someone who will simply listen. Seek them out, write their names and contact information down and keep it close to you.
The challenge is that by the end of this Mental Health month you will have filled in the names of friends, family and professionals who make up your Circle of Support. Perhaps having your list complete will also encourage you to talk to someone else about creating a Circle of Support and becoming part of their list too.
None of us are immune to mental health issues and we all need a helping hand along the way. So, the next time you are feeling lost, struggling with depression or negative feelings, pick up the phone and make a call. God will be there for you in the people on your list. And remember you are never alone in dealing with hard things of life.
For additional support please contact:
Kids Help Line
Call 1-800-668-6868
Young people text TALK to 686868
Adults text WELLNESS to 741741
Canada Suicide Prevention Service
1-833-456-4566
Text: 45645
Chat: crisisservicescanada.ca
