Are you okay?

2020 has been a difficult year. Let's face it - it sucks! You might be struggling mentally and emotionally due to Covid-19. You might be in isolation, your family might be struggling financially or tensions at home might be high, you might miss seeing grandparents or family or friends, you might have missed out celebrating a birthday or a family holiday. You might just feel down because of all the bad news in the world at the moment. You are not alone.

If you're a Christian you might be tempted to think that you shouldn't feel this way because of your faith.  Until Jesus comes again we are all part of this broken world. We experience hardships, pain, sadness, grief and disappointment just like everyone else. 2 Peter 2:9 says, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials. 

• He rescued Daniel, but not before he had been thrown into the Lion's den.
• He rescued Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, but not before they had been thrown into the fiery furnace.
• He rescued Joseph, but not before he had been enslaved and then in prison.

God's Holy Spirit is in us, helping and encouraging us through the difficult times but we still experience them. ​

If you are struggling, talk to someone about it - your parents, an aunt, teacher, youth pastor, chaplain or other trusted adult. You may also need to see a counsellor or psychologist. There are people out there who can help you through this difficult season.

If you're in Australia, here are the national crisis numbers:
Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au
Headspace: 1800 650 890 Free online and telephone service for 12-25 year olds
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 A free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25.