[__ Prayer __] David

[Christ_empowered]

My cousin (well, my dad's cousin, lol) works with a delivery ministry. I think they're non-denominational...they pray with and for people going through it, offer support, counseling, etc. Good stuff.

Anyway, I'd been chatting him up on email a bit now and then. I hadn't heard from him in a hot minute, but he emailed me the other day. A young man named David came in to see him. David has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, and he's struggling hardcore. My cousin gave me David's email and asked me if I could email him and support what the delivery ministry is doing by offering prayer, personal experiences, etc.

I emailed David a couple days ago. I haven't heard back from him just yet. He's around my age (he's 35, I'm 32) and I get the sense that there's probably going to be a lot of overlap in terms of our experiences of life, madness, Mental Health Inc., etc.

So...I ask that you pray for David, and for my cousin's ministry in general. I'm also offering up a Praise to The Lord for changing me to the point that my cousin would consider me useful enough to help David along his journey, and also for changing me to the point that I actually care about David and am curious about him.

Thanks.

 

[ezrider]

CE, I admire your openness and honesty in your posts, about the progress that you have with your problems, and for your testimony of how the Lord is working in your life. You have said you were looking for a job or something to occupy your time. Have you considered counseling? You may not have the education for it, but from your stories you certainly have more life experience in it than most. Maybe this is an opportunity for yourself as much as it is a need for David.

I'll be praying for you.

 

[Christ_empowered]

thanks for your reply.

I've considered counseling, but...my experiences in Mental Health, Inc. have not been positive until fairly recently. It was always about subtracting from me, breaking me, controlling me, getting me to internalize their views of me, etc. To be fair, after I got saved, I actually began benefiting from easy breezy counseling, my meds do what the meds are supposed to do, I'm moving forward, etc. Before, I was diagnosed as severely NPD, which is supposed to be untreatable, so I guess I can see that, from their perspective, they couldn't do much, if anything, to help me.

Then again...a lot of the "professionals" I encountered were (and are) punitive to the point of being sadistic, hyper-conservative (in bad ways), materialistic, elitist, etc. And I'm beginning to think a lot of them may be just...the way Mental Health, Inc. is...although perhaps I'm wrong. The people in charge of my care now say its a more severe form of Bipolar I and some obsessive traits, which makes a lot of sense to me now. I don't know about the NPD...last time anybody said anything about it to me, it had been downgraded to "narcissistic traits," and that was right before I got saved.

So...I've been thinking about it, and various pros and cons have been weighing on my mind.

Thanks again for your post.

 

[Eugene]

I'm also offering up a Praise to The Lord for changing me to the point that my cousin would consider me useful enough to help David along his journey

Hey Brother Christ_empowered, your testimony becomes a ministry noticed by others.
Thus the scriptural relevance of the following.
2Co 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. (In this case your cousin David's request.)
2Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
2Co 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

Prayer going up for David also in Jesus' name.

 

[Angel]

Praying for David, your witness, and your cousins ministry.

 

[Angel]

Has David responded to your email?

 

[Christ_empowered]

hey, angel. he hasn't responded yet. I hope he does respond, but I don't think it's appropriate for me to send more messages until/unless he responds first.

 

[Angel]

Agreed.