As you’ve probably gathered, I believe in God and follow Jesus. Because of that, many of my posts may contain references to my faith and what it has done for me. I’m hoping that you’ll benefit from such posts and be encouraged by them, even if you don’t have a belief in God.
David of the Bible has always been a big inspiration for me. Through his writings I’ve come to see how similar I am to him in many respects. He was a very sensitive person. This shows in the many psalms he wrote. I go to them often when I want to find someone who understands me and what I’m going through.
You’ve probably heard the story of how the young David slayed the giant of a man, Goliath. This morning I was reading the story and the words in 1 Samuel 17:45 jumped out at me. Here David challenges Goliath saying, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
The story goes on to show how David, the young shepherd killed Goliath, the heavily armed warrior, with only a pebble and a slingshot. Trusting that his God would be with him, he approached the giant of a man with courage. He was assured that he was doing what needed to be done – the defeat of that which was evil.
In the words I quote above, David showed utter outrage at having his people challenged by one such as Goliath. I could relate to his feelings here. They remind me of anger I sometimes feel towards injustice. David shows his great determination, courage and faith – all qualities I needed when I first started fighting stigma many years ago. They are qualities I need today as I continue.
David’s faith gives him the courage to say – in essence, “Goliath, I come against you in the name of He who is good.” It’s this courage and strength shown by a small person with almost no weapons to speak of, that inspires me to also say to myself, “I’m determined to come against the evils of stigma, hopefully creating a better world for those affected by it.” I will not have a pebble and a slingshot like David did; I will have a computer. And I trust the God I believe in to give me the words.
David inspires me to continue posting to this blog, approaching it with the belief that my faith can help me make inroads in the battle against stigma, especially as it exists towards BPD. Is that expecting too much? I don’t think so, because I know that more are engaged in that battle. Together with them and those who I’m sure will join us, we will make a difference.
More than that I hope and pray that my posts will encourage you, my readers and fellow sufferers. If I leave you with anything today, it’s to realize that just like anyone else, we who struggle with this illness have great worth. We have been dealt difficult experiences, times when we might have been very hurt. But, as David’s story has shown, we can defeat that which may seem bigger than us. We can learn to reduce the effects of what a painful life has done to us.
I’m learning DBT. It’s an excellent therapy, helping many.
But I know it also helps to trust.
PS: I know the picture above has little to do with fighting something evil. But I confess, I could not find an adequate representation of such a thing. So I include a forest scene from Golden Ears Park in British Columbia. Hope you like it.
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