Friends, today started off intensely... we had a Suicide role play assignment in my crisis and trauma class. There were three students (me, Chad, and Haeley)... and we each took turns playing the roles of supervisor/observer offering feedback, counselor at a suicide hotline, and suicidal client calling in seeking help. They both talked about coming up with a fictional story, but I quite literally played the role of late 2007 Lindsey (without ever explaining that to them). I was feeling a bit heavyhearted and on edge about it beforehand, and then I watched the email video from John Eldredge about Good Friday early this morning. He said, "You need to bring the power of the resurrection and the River of Life against all death and destruction and decreation that are assaulting you and your kingdom and household, in the name of Jesus Christ: I am NOT forsaken, and I never will be! And you need to enforce it - enforce the Life, the resurrection, the River of Life cutting off and engulfing all death and destruction." Done.
It was such perfect timing, which God has orchestrated so often for me through the Eldredges. Then Chad prayed with and for us before we began, and that felt really helpful, too. It was labeled "Suicide Role Play," but I'm reframing it as a "Safety Plan Role Play," as the point of it was to practice bringing more light and life to places where the shadow of death is heavy, creating a safety plan as a resource to help suicidal clients remember their strengths and the helpful people, safe places, and healthy behaviors they could turn to in the next crisis. It ended up being cathartic to look back and speak from my old perspective while having a caring Christian man listening intently and speaking words of hope and life and strength into that story toward any unhealed parts of my heart. And it forced me to remember how God orchestrated things where I had new lifegroup friends I could turn to in the midst of my pain back then. Chad also reminded client-me that Jesus knows what it feels like to be betrayed and deserted by close friends and to feel abandoned by God. I am not forsaken, and I never will be! So that's my Good Friday 2023 story. I am thankful for the earthly and eternal ways Jesus rescues us!! ❤❤❤
On a lighter note from that role play, I am trying to grow in being aware of my tendency to laugh and how that could make people who don't know me feel belittled or diminished (which is the last thing I'd want ever, but particularly in a counseling setting). With this heavy topic, I was extra somber and trying to empathize well and reflect the client's pain. The only constructive feedback I received from my fellow classmate was to smile more and be warm and bring joy that the client can begin to mirror, which did make me laugh! ...I may have done a pendulum swing and overcorrected there. Anyway, yay for learning as we go! And yes, "smile more" made me think of Aaron Burr!
Okay. Now on to the more lighthearted and cheesy photos. First things first - my Swiftie shirt has arrived - huzzah! I can't afford the crazy concert tickets this round, but I'm delighted to have this shirt, thanks to a Lindsey-targeted FB ad!! lol
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