Imagine the scene- it is a bright and sunny day, you are entering a valley, it is a beautiful green valley. The path before you is level, but there are some dips, some twists and a few steep climbs along the way. The birds are singing. You can hear the stream bubbling along beside you singing its own tune. We soak it all in, the beauty around you, the path before you, its challenges but you walk and the Good Shephard is right there leading you and you are grateful.

Then there is another traveler, the same scene exactly, but that is not how they perceive it. They notice the sun, but there are clouds also, they speculate in their mind, it will likely rain today. Every dip along the way seems more like a ditch. The twists on the path cause a quiet unseen panic to rise. They like seeing where they are going. They wish they were not so very alone on this journey. The silence is deafening.

Nearby the Good Shepherd is calling to them, finding ways for them to notice His constant presence. His love for them is unwavering, and His voice calling to them is unceasing.

Life with mental illness is just like the second journey. The first traveller may have many judgments and suggestions that begin with " if you would just..." If it were only that simple. Thankfully, the truth found in Psalm 23 regarding the Good Shepherd, is just as true for both travellers. Both are dearly loved. However, when you stop and reflect, if a Shepherd is really good, would He not watch a little closer to the one with a broken limb, an eye that is hurt and it skews its view?