Kia Mau!

Last month we had our Hope For Mental Health Day at Grace Vineyard Beach Campus in Christchurch. Bron and Phil Tait shared their stories and valuable experience. I shared my journey of recovery. It was a wonderful day of hope, particularly seeing people ministered to in the prophetic. One of the main messages was that we need to take a broad approach to mental health. We have physical, mental/emotional, spiritual and social needs. We spoke about how we can navigate our way through mental health challenges using the model Te Whare Tapa Whā (the four-sided house). See my last post for more on this. Thank you to those of you who came and supported this event!

This week is Te Wiki O Te Reo, Māori Language Week. I am a beginner learner of Te Reo Māori doing an evening class at my local High School. My Kaiako and classmates are so encouraging. I’m doing it because I am interested and enjoy it. Learning a language (the best one!) is also having a good effect on my mental-emotional well-being as I try a new interest, find fodder for the mind and meet new people. Over the years I’ve found part-time study has been very helpful for my sometimes overactive mind!

If I could pick a short saying in Te Reo this week it would be kia mau! – hang in there! God places a high value and reward on persevering. So if you are finding things tough I’d encourage you to enlist help and determine to push through. If you do you will know breakthroughs. Don’t get discouraged when it feels like progressing and regressing follow each other (your building out runs any setbacks!). Track your victories. I have had a recent break-though in stretching myself to do something new. I pushed through self made limitations and it feels so satisfying. I think God highlights to us the next challenge he wants us to take and feel the joy of new freedom. It may seem like something small to others but you and God know that it is significant. Perhaps your challenge is to persevere and just keep doing what you are doing. Maybe your challenge involves taking steps that given time will expand your horizon.

What’s your next step?

Kia mau!

Bronnie

‘Your love has freed us, and we’re free indeed,

Spoken to our pain revealing hope again…’

Lyrics from song ‘Tuhia’

Photo by Bronnie Leigh