When people ask about The World Race, it’s often described as an 11-month mission trip, which it is. Another major component however, is that it’s two-fold: as we serve the people, we are transforming and growing as people. We’re developed in the vital life skills of discipleship, self-awareness, relationship skills and emotional hygiene.
Thank goodness that Adventures in Missions (AIM) doesn’t send us into the dust on our own with our backpacks. This is an experience in which we are put on a team with strangers in a new culture where we see hard things quite often. On this race so far, I’ve been with Guatemalan widows in their shacks on their death beds, met orphans in El Salvador who were sexually abused and dealing with the mental ramifications, prayed over men dying of a kidney disease sweeping out the population of Nicaragua, played with abandoned street kids in Honduras, seen plastic wrap houses, hungry children and many other injustices.
If AIM didn’t take the time to take care of the emotional health of the missionaries, the company would crumble, and people would burn out quickly. In face, at training camp, the first few days were spent with a speaker teaching us how to take care of our emotional baggage, which is vital to be successful on the mission field.
We are blessed with squad coaches who come down every few months to debrief, talk and process with us. We also have a routine set up to check in on each other emotionally and to challenge each other to grow with positive and constructive feedback.
Hard things don’t only happen on The World Race. If you walk on the soil of this earth for 24-hours, you’ll come out on the other side with bruises. Even Jesus did. I imagine Him returning to heaven with the wounds in His palms and the angels saying, “Man, life down there looks pretty brutal.”
We need to recognize that life happens, and we will have emotional wound and we need to take care of them. When we pretend they aren’t real, because we can’t see them, we put ourselves in a toxic downward spiral that spread to the people around us. They way that we make the people around us feel speaks volumes about us. Could you imagine how different this world would be if we all took care of our emotional health? We would probably look more like Jesus and consequently, create a different, more life-giving culture.
Unfortunately, our society at large has duped emotional care as irrelevant, for crazy people, a placebo market, shameful, cheesy, etc. As a result, people often brush off their problems allowing them to snowball or hide them in their dark as their shame grows.
In his Ted Talk: The Case for Emotional Hygiene, Dr. Guy Winch notes that when people get a physical wound, their reaction is to tend to it by washing it, disinfecting it and covering it for protection while it heals. When it comes to emotional wounds such as rejection or loneliness, several people brush it aside as something that must not be real, because it’s not physically seen.
Let me assure you that emotional wounds are very, very real. In fact, the effect the most vital organ of your body: your brain. Research shows that 75-90% of physical illnesses root from he mind. What we focus on is what we worship, and what we worship grows. Thoughts lasting 30 seconds or more put finger prints on your brain which connects to the rest of the body.
It’s time for us to give our thought lives a makeover. I assure you, there is no shame in taking care of yourself or asking for help. It actually shows strength and ambition. My freshman year of college, I had a major unraveling period. I lived and worked in a very unhealthy environment.
My co-worker would say things such as:
“You’re the dumbest girl in the world.”
“It’s not that you’re unattractive. You’re just less attractive than I am.”
(Mind you that this person has also grown a lot since then and no longer speaks to people like that.)
I stayed in that environment for a year, which happened to be the same year that I was first transitioning from teen angst to adult reality. It was no wonder that all of the wounds I had shoved under the rug throughout my life came to the surface.
It wasn’t until I acknowledged these places and decided to take care of myself that I grew into the person I was created to be. Pre-healing Sara was not a pretty sight. I operated out of what I knew. I was easily offended, passive aggressive, codependent and a person who held grudges. Those people are never fun to be around.
I had to humble myself and allow Jesus to work in me. Being a healthy person was a learned thing- not a natural thing. It took a while of cleaning house and rebuilding, but every bit of it was more than worth it. There’s always, always room to grow and be a healthier you.
Today is a good day to begin on a soul work journey, and I want to start you off with a few resources. (I am a little biased toward my Chattanoogans.)
Counseling and Healing Ministry
Again, there is no shame in getting help. Sometimes, people need an objective, outside person to help them untangle and sort through their messes. I once heard someone say that once a person has stepped into a counselor’s office, they are two-thirds of the way from healing, because they have swallowed their pride, recognized a toxic place and took initiative to change it. Elbow Tree is a great counseling center with people constantly working to improve, grow and ensure the best quality care. Along with counseling, they provide retreats, seminars and an innovative system I read about called “neurofeedback.” For more information, visit: www.elbowtree.com.
This is a place that significantly changed my life. A large majority of the ministry focuses on inner-healing, and they thrive in that area of expertise! The company offers the issue-focused solo ministry, and the broader restoration prayer ministry which deals with lifelong baggage. Participating in the Restoration program changed the way my mind, my relationships and my life functioned. I would not be able to do such a high-intensity experience like The World Race if not for Restoration. For more information, visit www.iggm.org.
Books
This book is an absolute must-read that was required for Restoration Prayer Ministry. Dr. James Richards invites readers to understand how the large majority of their wounds may come from their own perceptions. Offenses happen, but so many day-to-day offenses that snowball into larger wounds can be eliminated by understanding where other people come from and how the hurts they give are often unintentional. Changing our lenses can really change the way we experience life.
This one is more for the ladies (unless you are okay with being called “girlfriend”. Life coach and licensed counselor, Holley Gerth walks readers through healing from hurts and living with resilience. Several people own their struggles as a part of their identities, but Gerth challenges readers that, “this isn’t who you are- it’s where you are right now.”
Neuroscience is fascinating. In this book, Dr. Caroline Leaf gives readers an understanding of their beautiful brains and how to use them to their benefit. When Leaf began her career, the world of neuroscience and psychology said that the brain is hardwired and stuck with any sort of trauma a patient has experienced. As a follower of Christ, Leaf disagreed with the theories because of their unbiblical natures and was one of the first in her field to devote her research to changing the brain. The results were astounding with patients dramatically transforming. The book contains a 21-day system showing readers how to transform their brains as well.
Sad but true: a life without boundaries is a life with low self-esteem and being walked on. This is an unexpected cause of stress, anxiety and depression for many people. Dr. Henry Cloud explains what boundaries are (not always what we think), what they look like and their benefits. This is a great book in learning to value yourself, when to say no and how to stand firm in your beliefs and priorities.
Impactful Speakers
Danny Silk is a speaker out of Bethel Church in Redding, California. He is all about relationships which are important to a successful life. His sermons are not merely about romantic relationships but how to interact and confront with friends, co-workers and teams.
Christine Caine is an Greek Australian woman out of Hillsong Church with a history of trauma, poverty and sexual abuse. She overcame several obstacles and offers her insight to listeners. Some of her best sermons include: “Embrace Your Place, The Dark Room and The Courage to Let Go of Your Past.”
Author, speaker and mentor Graham Cooke is a refreshingly optimistic, outside-the-box and unreligious Christian. He catalyzes a new way to think, live life, do church and face/overcome challenges. A very impactful series of his is the more recent: “Mind of a Saint.”
These are just few of the many resources to get you started on the path to emotional health. Here are a few more tips to guide you along the way:
– Keep The Lord at the forefront of your mind. Stay in constant communication with Him throughout the day, and ask Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts. It’s powerful.
– Listen to life-giving and uplifting music. Some may be worship music, but the line between holy and secular to a degree is man-made, so it is possible to find Jesus in other music. Some of my favorites are: Rivers and Robots, Norah Jones, Mumford and Sons, Rend Collective, Enter the Worship Circle, As Isaac and Sara Bareilles.
– Change who you surround yourself with. If you’re around negative people who put you down, guess how you’re going to feel? I worked in a very toxic environment for a year, and I was beginning to believe what I was being told about myself. If this is the case, run and find new friends.
– Change what you surround yourself with. Garbage in, garbage out. I used to pay close attention to the news and negative online articles with people complaining and criticizing. It was stressful! Surround yourself with beauty from the background on your phone to the walls of your home. Hang encouraging artwork. A favorite of mine is Kelly Rae Roberts.
– Remember that it’s a process. If you don’t wake up completely transformed in three days, it’s not just a normal thing but a good thing! I’ve been told that breakthrough comes from follow-through. You must keep practicing the new things you learn to overcome and be more than a conquerer over your adversities.
Please comment below with other advice, music, books, speakers etc for other readers.
