In dealing with the passing of our daughter, taking over a church, and being a husband, father, son, friend, mentor, pastor, and every other hat under the sun, it has been very evident that the American Church is in need of a reality check when it comes to emotional health. One of the best authors I can recommend us Peter Scazzero and his series on emotional health. I say this because most individuals are expecting their pastors to have it all together and be able to lead stoically, however, this leads us to building up walls and becoming unviable to the congregation. Similarly, in the homes, we become distant and emotionally disconnected and it leaves us feeling dead inside, and that’s something we have to course correct and fix.

What I have found is that by leading from my place of pain and showcasing what trusting the Lord in a season of pain and doubt looks like, it encourages my congregation to partake in dealing with their own problems and letting everyone know that it’s okay to not be okay, as long as you’re not okay and letting the Lord be in that situation to take you into a place of being okay because you’ve allowed him to restore you as he did Elijah

Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

When we are distressed, when we are in mourning or discomfort, take the time to be in the presence of the Comforter.