In the year 2016 the state of West Virginia experienced the most devastating flood in over 1000 years. As a pastor, I was busy trying to check on church members, handle supplies and help those in our town to repair and rebuild.
On top of all of that, my wife and I lost our home, nearly all of our earthly possessions and had to move in temporarily with a church family . After running nonstop for several months, I pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion and ended up suffering a severe nervous breakdown. I woke up in a mental health facility not knowing where I was or what happened. Nine months of my life were completely gone.
As I was beginning to heal, I was told by pastors that I was lost, was never called into the ministry and could never love God and go through what I went through. It made me question every single aspect of my life. Then one day, God sent by an aged preacher to extend to me, Grace.
As I begin to further study the Grace of God, I suddenly began to understand that I needed to extend to myself this grace more than anybody else. I felt like I let everybody down from my family to my church that I had to resign. I felt like God would never use me again and that my ministry was completely over. I was being beaten down by so many people, but most of all myself. I needed to extend to myself Grace.
As I continued on my healing journey, my eyes were opened up to the fact that many churches want to avoid mental health and emotional issues. But God is looking to extend grace to those that are struggling and lift them up out of the darkness with love and understanding. We can see this in the life of king David, how he traversed the valleys of depression to the heights of praise and restoration all through the Grace, love and presence of God.
So you may be struggling with mental health or emotional issues, but I’ve come to tell you today that there is no cavern too deep and no darkness so dark that the grace and love of God cannot reach in and pull you out to a brighter day. I am living proof that God does not want to keep you in the valley but once they help you stay on the mountain top once again. Look unto the hills from where cometh your help!
Pastor Aaron Trigg
3 responses to “Give Yourself Grace”
You are an inspiration and my hero,Pastor Aaron Trigg! Thank you for wanting to help others though their spiritual,mental,and emotional battles! We all need God grace! Diana Trigg
Thank you Aaron did not know about this. We are all so blessed God extended his Grace to you and to all of us. I remember that time well. I remember going to WSS the day after that and thinking it looked like a place struck by a bomb. I was living in Covington at the time. You were definitely called to preach, You teach God’s word the way it is supposed to be taught. Many blessings to you and Diana
Praise the Lord! Amen!