‘There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens:…a time to weep and a time to laugh.’
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4
‘Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.’
Psalm 126:2
When was the last time you laughed? Really laughed? The last couple of years have given most of us much to weep over. Many of us have shed many tears of sadness. But there comes a time for us to laugh. If you need help to laugh, animals, babies and small children provide moments that will cause you to smile and laugh.
Laughter is good for our mental wellbeing. If you want help with caring for your mental wellbeing, Press On: Building resilience & mental wellbeing provides you with tips and input on how you can build habits such as laughter into your life.
How do you usually respond to someone who is wrestling with spiritual concerns? We’re likely to listen, pray, offer care, counsel, and comfort from God’s word. But (very) occasionally, this is entirely the wrong approach. That’s because the need for ongoing reassurance may indicate an underlying mental health condition known as scrupulosity – a sub-type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
“I don’t know how to relate. What will I say? I don’t understand them!” Have you thought this about a different generation? This article from Amy Yeung suggests a framework that could help us care well, no matter what generation someone is from.
Pastoral care takes place in many different contexts and capacities. You might offer care to those in your family, your friendship network and your church community. A toolbox of resources can equip you in these various contexts and roles.
Caring is not so much about fixing a need or solving a problem – it’s about showing up and being there as a willing servant of Christ. It lets another know they are seen and valued.
