Walking outside on the rainy Easter morning, I just had to get a picture of our sturdy crabapple tree in bloom in the rain getting my slippers wet in the process. “Birds are still eating fruit from last year,” I told my sister this morning. “My goal in life is to be as consistent as our crabapple tree.” Despite the rain, I have much to be grateful for this Easter morning. After 16 years, I feel more like Joseph than the King Jesus. “I know you are smiling today,” I say out loud to King Jesus. “Thank you for saving me for here.”
Today, I am fascinated with the red buds on our sturdy crabapple tree. “I love their unique red color but look at all of them! There are so many, the tree looks red today.” I think to myself. This reminds me what God says about us bearing fruit in Matthew 7:17-20:
“So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Perhaps this is why God has allowed us to endure all the mental illness ignorance and stigma we have faced. Perhaps this is why I have become, “pure passion” as one of the board members said during the interview process for my new job. Perhaps this is how the prophets felt in the old Testament. Perhaps this is why we are called to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves, “the least of these” as the Bible calls them.
This reminds me of Karen’s stepson, Joey. Joey has a dual diagnosis of being developmentally disabled as well as has a severe mental illness. Joey is currently grieving the death of his father, Stephen who died from bone cancer over the course of four month’s time. “How does Joey mourn the death of his father?” I ask King Jesus. Despite being in his forties, Joey will never achieve the age of accountability. He is not responsible for his actions. Joey is a child of God in King Jesus eyes.
“Hey Mom, what game do you want to play today,” Ethan asks as he casually walks into my office. Ethan will be 24 in August. It has been pure joy to have Ethan living with us since he graduated from college at Shawnee State last April. Ethan is currently working full-time for a Communications engineer consultant doing AI research for the Communication industry. Not exactly video games, but we must get basic work experience somehow. To make himself more attractive to videogame companies, Ethan works on his creatives skills as well as programming. One of the things I love most about my son, is that he is constantly learning and honing his creative gifts. He is currently learning about chords and music. “Do you know why an orchestra has so many redundant instruments, “ he asked at dinner the other night. “Violins are not as versatile as a guitar. They need all those instruments to play a chord.” Joey is forever frozen in his mind with his cartoon friends that are going to take him to San Diego.
Mental Health Warrior 