Breakdown

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No, my '84 Ford Crown Victoria (a.k.a. Queen Vicky) has not had a break down. Yet.
Yes, her Majesty squeals and complains with a low intolerance for being ignored, but she still has a huge heart. And a huge body. More on her later...

Actually, mental breakdowns are the life ordeals to which I am referring. Everyone has them (this is not based on any statistic or figure, just plain human nature). They are defined as those times in which one completely loses oneself mentally, becoming unstable, irrational and an overall nutcase to be around. Now, there are perfectly justifiable reasons why breakdowns should occur, too many for me to calculate at this time, in fact. Financial stress, occupational stress, emotional stress (for women, you know to what time of month this applies), physical stress, etc, etc, etc.

My personal breakdowns happen to be a combination of most all of these factors. I was talking to a friend and the subject of future plans and family expectations came up, which often lead to subsequent breakdowns. We discovered that our breakdowns incidentally coincided on a particular week, which was astonishing to say the least. We were honest about what was going on in our lives and were led to believe our breakdowns were not accidents, just our minds being affected so as to influence our reactions to certain situations. After our rather emotional discussion, I love what my friend confided about her understanding of breakdowns. She realized that they are God's way of indicating how much he loves and desires us. When I have a breakdown, my automatic response is to mentally berate myself for being weak and vulnerable. But, oh! How He uses my weakness to glorify his strength! The apostle Paul sympathizes with breakdowns, illustrating what God said to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

How wonderful is that realization? In that moment, or that day, or that week when you are mentally broken and berated, the God of the Universe is glad, and so ready to mold your breakdown into His power, utilizing it, and you, for His ultimate glory.

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