Disturbed

“The word disturbed is often associated with mental illness and instability. We say, “He’s disturbed,” when we describe someone who reacts in an overly emotional way or appears troubled emotionally. I want to redefine this word, because I believe that God is looking for some disturbed people. He is searching for men and women, students, and young adults who will allow Him to disturb them by making them truly see the world in which we live – so disturbed that they will be compelled to do something about what they see…But if we’re not disturbed by the world in which we live, we will be consumed with the trivial, the insignificant, and the temporary. We will spend our days pursuing all the wrong goals, living by the wrong measurement of success, evaluating our legacy by the wrong standard.”
-Kay Warren from Dangerous Surrender

There are a lot of things in life that can be disturbing. But when they don’t affect us directly, well, it’s easy to have a tinge of compassion, and then go on our merry way. However, when God allows us to suffering to invade our world in a personal way, we have a decision to make. Will we allow this trouble, tragedy or heart ache that has come into our life to be God’s tool to mold us and compel us to do something that will make some good out of a bad situation, or will we wallow in our troubles, retreat inside our shells and let it corrode our insides?

Support groups can be a first step toward letting that which is disturbing in our lives out into the open of a safe confidential group that can understand what we are going through, care for us, listen to us, and pray for us. By being in a support group we are not only ministered to, we help others by listening with caring hearts, acknowledging the hurts of others and share how God has helped us through similar situations. We hear personal testimonies of God’s care during difficult times. As we draw strength and receive the comfort and emotional healing that the Lord provides, we are able to reach out to others and help them as they go through similar circumstances. Pastor Rick Warren says, “God never wastes a hurt.” Helping others as they go through a disturbing time turns hurt into a vehicle of healing for someone else.

We have a few different support groups at Hydesville Community Church and hope to greatly enlarge these groups of care. There is a cancer support group, a group for families affected by disabilities and "Porch Light." Porch Light is a group that deals with highly disturbing life issues. Porch Light is a support group for hurting parents of wayward teens or adults. Parenting is a great responsibility and challenge, yet our culture works against us in many ways. The temptations our young people face are greater today than ever. This county wrestles with the enormous influence of drug and alcohol use. The drive for independence, lack of good judgment in choices, the normal growing up process, medical issues, influence of peers, stress, pressures and sometimes outright rebellion can make an unhealthy combination that can turn parenting into a heart ache and sometimes a nightmare.

So many of these life issues exist “under the radar”. We don’t usually make small talk in everyday conversation about things like a teen or young adults rebellious attitudes, rejection of faith, stealing, struggles with substance abuse, pornography, homosexuality, heart aches in relationships, cutting themselves, eating disorders, crisis pregnancies, dangerous behaviors, or types of mental illness. Yet these disturbing things are all around us and happen with people we know and people we dearly love. If you are a parent to a young person who is going through a stormy time of life we want you to know there is hope in God. He cares deeply. When we truly see the world in which we live and come to terms with the reality of the pain people have around us, God can use us and compel us to do something about what we see. Meeting with people who are going through similar hurts and heartaches offer us the opportunity to minister to one another and to help make a difference by stepping out of the darkness of disturbance and into the healing light of Christ. We welcome you to Porch Light. We meet the 4th Sunday of the month at 6:30 in the evenings in the living room of “The Hut” (the house next door to the church). If you, or someone you know would benefit from this support group, we invite you to attend. For more information on this group, or other support group that Hydesville Community Church offers, contact Penny Fregeau, Director of Women’s Ministry & Counseling – (707)768-3767.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20b