“No, no! Jesus didn’t experience anxiety!” we might say. I think this is a reaction to quickly judging emotions as bad and untrustworthy. Consider Christ’s prayer in the garden, as he neared death. We read quite disturbing words from Luke: “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground”.
I'm no etymologist, but words fascinate me. Kardia, in many of its uses, has captivated my attention for a long time. As a Bible student, kardia appears multiple times as the Greek word for heart.
Not the organ that pumps blood through your body. Kardia is the figurative core of your being. It is the seat and center of human life, emotion, volitional will. It is the "causative source of one's psychological life in its various aspects." All that to say, your heart is a huge deal and deserves attention and care!
“I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.”
You don’t have to look too hard or far to hear it. People back-peddling from their needs saying, “oh, but don’t go through too much trouble” or “it’s not that big of a deal, I’ll be fine.” It’s a funny thing when you think about it. In reality, we are all burdens. None are free from being dependent. One of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that we don’t need people.
If you’re like me, then you likely have an internal monologue or a running internal conversation. This doesn’t mean that you’re crazy or something is wrong; most people talk to themselves. Often we ask rhetorical questions like, Why does my head hurt? What do I want for dinner? Why do I feel this way?” We discuss the reality around us as we navigate our internal world.
In the last twenty years, the well being of our children has plummeted to the point that professionals call it an epidemic. For tired, overworked parents, these numbers are overwhelming and even discouraging. We want our homes to be a place of hope and life, but we are overwhelmed with the bombardment of social media and technology, the fast pace of our culture, and all of the responsibilities we have to accomplish in a certain amount of time. How do we collectively move forward as parents to ensure the mental well being of our children (and even ourselves)?
