New seasons are inevitable and can be scary, rewarding, challenging, and exciting all in one. I try to see each one as an opportunity to learn. A time to ask God, “what do you want to teach me through this?”
If “we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28), and “all the days ordained for me were written … before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16), then we know each season is no surprise to God and He has a purpose for each one of them.
As I enter this new season as a licensed counselor,
I look back and reflect on what God has taught me...
It was my own need for a counselor.
This is not a ploy for business. It is a consideration for quality of life. We are too close to our circumstances to see the assumptions or wrong thinking we give to what is going on around us. Past experiences shape the way we view present situations often giving a cloudy or untrue view of reality. If we bottle up emotions, they will eventually explode or wreak havoc on our bodies.
In many cases, OTHER EYES are needed. Yes, we can disclose to safe friends but sometimes the weight is too heavy to ask them to carry. These are the times to invite a professional therapist, a pastor, or lay elders in to help carry the load and improve sight.
During school, it was often suggested that I needed my own counselor so I could 1) experience therapy as a client and 2) stay emotionally healthy to continue the work. For the majority of my school, I told myself “I did not want to take a spot away from someone who really needed it”. It wasn’t until internship, when I was already seeing clients of my own, that I finally went to counseling for myself. It was eye-opening. In fact, one day in session, my counselor spoke into my own life and shared the exact same thing I had shared with a client earlier that day. I knew this stuff. I was teaching it. But I was too close to my situation to see that I needed to apply it to my own life. I needed another set of eyes.
Don't miss it: What is God trying to show you in the season you are either coming out of or going into?
Consider: Do you need another set of eyes?
Apply:
Have you spoken an untruth to yourself before that kept you from seeking out counsel?
If so, what step can you take toward seeing more clearly?
Disclaimer: You have been added to this subscription list because you have shown interest in this ministry at one time or another. The purpose of this blog moving forward is 1) to help people especially those who may not be able to afford counsel or are not quite ready, 2) to provide a resource to help people remain healthy, 2) to help equip people to help others they see who are hurting. This blog is not meant to be a substitute for counseling, but a supplemental option. We are in a mental health crisis and the workers are few. If ever you feel this blog is not for you, you may unsubscribe at any time.