Hey everybody. This is Dr. Anita. Welcome back to In The Light. I want to start today by saying thank you for all of the incredible messages I received last week from people of faith who are struggling with their mental health.

In episode four, we dug into scripture to find the line between doing your very best,

needing to heal, and berating yourself for your

challenge or in some cases for having a mental illness. It means so much to me

that people of faith living with a mental illness felt seen and heard and

understood. I want to share that episode with the whole wide world for sure because it prepares us to take care of one another in a way that we should and when we do we look a lot more like Jesus.

But no mental health Bible study for this episode. I love teaching you stuff, believe me, but I also love helping people share their stories. And today we have a guest who's going to tell the story of her faith and mental health journey.

As I've been preparing my heart and mind to join her in that space,

it really got me thinking deeply about stories.

Telling our stories makes us stronger.

It builds resilience.

Resilience is that thing that helps us get up when we're knocked down, is that thing that

allows us to come back from difficulties, from traumas, from failures, and

steady ourselves to keep moving forward. The most familiar way your story does that of course is by helping someone else.

We all get a sense of satisfaction when someone else learns or is encouraged by what we have accomplished so far.

And yes I said accomplished not survived because

your survival is an accomplishment. Anyway this is the reason that many people want to

write a book about their lives.

It can help someone turning pain into purpose.

But telling your story actually has other benefits, powerful benefits,

benefits for you.

Telling your story helps you to identify what is true.

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