The Truth about Mental Health: Teens and Emotions
If you are a teen, you likely have all the emotions.
If you are a parent of a teen, or someone who works regularly with teens, you likely also have all the emotions.
Over the last few months our local congregation has begun the process of finding a new pastor. For our church it has been a time of loss, a time of uncertainty, a time of trepidation, of wondering, discomfort, freedom, dreaming, looking ahead, and rallying together. I sat back in worship the other day and realized this is how a teen must feel all the time:
all the possibilities laid before them,
all that might be,
the confusion of mourning a childhood that once was,
moving on, whether you’re ready or not,
the internal pull of God growing you for something new,
the external pull of everything that needs to get done in life,
friendship and togetherness, alongside the feelings of left out and left alone,
the stress and worry of life, and the realization that so much is out of your control.
Sometimes the best thing we can do for our teens and for ourselves is to give these emotions some safe and healthy room to speak.
We can call them by their name, instead of ignoring them or pushing them down. We can find ways to help our teens let them out - using words, a pen and paper maybe, a computer game, a good cry, a funny show, a hike in the woods, a giant bowl of cereal, or a hug. Emotions won’t go away. They are gifts of God, even those emotions we are less comfortable experiencing. Holding them in creates illness, pushing them down eats away at us. When we tremble, when life feels like it’s trembling all around us, where do we go?
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. - Psalm 46:1-3
Our God helps…even in all those emotions…especially in all those emotions.
Today’s podcast is a fun mash up of our Truth about Mental Health Series and our YA series on Psalm 46. Find the talk sheet and the show notes for our entire YA Series at the link below: