Why Now?

It is always the right time to talk about mental health.

This is the second in a series of free posts in December that I hope will encourage you to pay for a monthly subscription to my Substack and read the rest as we begin 2026.

These last few weeks have numbed me, even more so than I already was walking through the season of Advent.

Gun violence, tragic deaths and uncertainty about the world we live in have all festered. Many news stories will easily bring up conversation around mental health, but not in a positive way. People will choose to play the blame game and make blanket generalizations, but little action will be taken. Whether it’s about the guns or about the mental health, or both, what are we actually going to do about it?

Do we actually care about mental health care in this country? I am not sure the answer is “yes,” if healthcare itself is on the chopping block. We say we care about a person’s health, but if that were true, we would not have to jump through hoops to access visits to a physician, psychiatrist or therapist. Our brain is part of our physical body, so it should not be treated as a separate appointment, claim or payment from the rest of our healthcare.

In The Hard Way, we will dive into discussions like these, because they are necessary to providing more safe spaces for people to seek help. There is always a time and place for these conversations. It’s never convenient and it’s always uncomfortable, but we must not keep quiet anymore.

In Part I: What I had to learn about mental health: I share my early judgmental attitude toward mental health care. There was much for me to unpack and unlearn about counseling and medication in my own personal struggles. I know it was God’s timing that I took the necessary steps in my own education so that I could not only help my partner, but seek the support I needed in a difficult season.

Part II: What no one prepares you for is an intimate portrait of what’s really going behind the scenes in a season of mental struggle. You will get a better understanding that those involved can still be pretty high functioning and why its hard to ask for help.

Part III: How can the church be a safe space
During the season described in this book, I served full time in congregational ministry. While I’ve had plenty of positive experiences with a Christian community, this particular scenario was especially challenging and you will learn why. I also talk about lament and why it’s necessary.

Part IV: Moving forward
This book was written 6 years ago and the principal event itself happened almost 9 years ago. So much life has been lived since. God’s timing is the best because by sharing this narrative now, I will be able to provide a picture of what life looks like down the road.

The personal progress is a true blessing, and yet there are still challenges to be addressed. We have also now experienced a global shutdown, and that combined with the misuse of technology tells us we need to do better for everyone. Younger generations that are growing up in a much different world, yet still need the space and understanding we’ve given ourselves on this subject matter.

I also hope to encourage you in sharing your own stories and that they matter to help those around you.

Next week I will share with you one of the individuals that spurred me as a writer to pursue challenging topics.

Until then…Merry Christmas!