Intro: “Through His Eyes: How Does God See the Mentally Ill?”

by Joshua Packard

This is a draft intro for a book I am writing which has the working title “Through His Eyes: How Does God Sees the Mentally Ill?”

This is going to be a series of books about How God sees various people and subjects.  It will not consist of me telling you how God sees.  It will be a discussion of a process of prayer, of asking God questions and listening to His answers.  I don’t know what will come of this.  My main goal is to get more people to ask God what He thinks, what He wants, what He sees.  I am trying to do the same thing myself more.  I don’t know a whole lot.  What I do know is that God knows everything.  And I know I can ask Him what He knows, and listen to what He wants to teach me.  It can be a difficult process, because we do not see God.  We see and hear a whole lot of other people and things, but God takes an effort to see, because He is not an object of our senses.  So we have to deliberately struggle and ask for and constantly rely on His aid in just being able to pay attention to Him over all competing claims to our senses.

My first project will be to help people ask God how He sees the mentally ill.  I hope this will be a rewarding practice, a rewarding journey.  Of all people, those who are mentally ill are possibly the most misunderstood of all.  The most honest attitude is that we can say we do not understand mental illness and those who suffer it.  But God knows all about mental illness.  He knows everything about every single person dealing with a mental illness, or multiple illnesses.  So my only recourse is to start with God.  I will be asking God to help us see the mentally ill as He sees them.  I will be praying for understanding, for guidance, and for the ability to listen to what God has to say to us about the mentally ill, and what He wants me to write about this subject.  I don’t know where this will lead.  All I have right now is the question.  So I will ask the question to God, and I invite you to do the same, and let us journey together on this path to hear what God wants to reveal to us.

So I pray “Dear God, please help us to see those with mental illness as You see them.  Help us to know what You want us to know, to treat others the way You want us to treat them.  Please help us when we misunderstand or make mistakes.  Help us to recognize false assumptions and replace them with more truthful ideas.  Please help us to see all people the way You see them.  For now, we ask You to help us see the mentally ill the way You do.  Help us to see the value in every person, especially the most sick and disabled.  And help us to find ways to bring out the most in our relationships and interactions with all people whom we encounter.  Please help me to listen to what You wish to teach me, and share it with others if it will be of benefit.  I thank You, and may Your name be glorified now and for all eternity. Amen.”