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Isaiah 40:11 (NLT)-He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
Some years back, I was working with a friend who used an expression that I was unfamiliar with. “Getting stuck in your head.” It basically means becoming trapped in negative thoughts that just won’t let go, when you can’t find any relief or peace no matter what you do.
Yesterday, I was driving to Richmond Kentucky to meet up with a friend over lunch. On the way, I was thinking about a lot of things, and before long, I got stuck in my own head.
My Parents. On August 15, my Dad passed away. He was in so many ways the rock of our family. When I would struggle with questions of “what do I do” in various situations as a minister, I would often turn to him for advice. He was always there. Now, he is gone. Even though I don’t often talk about his passing, it is always on my mind: an ever present reminder of who I, and so many others, have lost.
9-11. The day the world changed. A time when our collective relationship with the Middle East and the religion of Islam were brought into horrifying focus. The unrelenting chaos of that day, and the aftermath. The anthrax letters…the D.C. Sniper…the invasion of Afghanistan….and then of Iraq…on and on…
A dear friend. A young lady with several children at home that I baptized some years ago recently received a diagnosis of leukemia. She is unable to procure medical insurance, but Medicaid has been covering her treatments. But just last week she received word that her Medicaid funding has been cut and she is no longer eligible for healthcare. She now is trying to find a way forward for her and her babies. The lives of precious people hanging in the balance all because of the seemingly all-powerful buck.
Ridiculous.
My mental struggle. Near crippling anxiety and PTSD. Some days are harder then others. The events that led me to where I am at now are brought to the forefront of my mind by seemingly random events. News of police corruption…a child’s cry (or even laughter)…,a Facebook post from people in the town I used to minister in…even sometimes the sound of distant thunder on the horizon!
School shootings. There was news of yet another school shooting. Children killed, families devastated, towns torn apart.
Ukraine updates. I try to follow what is happening in Ukraine. A minister friend I recently met does a lot of work overseas with the people of that country, and I hear of a steady barrage of news from there. There was yet another attack from Russia. How many killed? How many families shattered? All while the war criminal behind it is tolerated and even applauded by other world leaders.
Disgusting.
Charlie Kirk murder. The tragic news of the murder of a 31 year old man. To many, Kirk was a political activist. To others, he was a proponent of Christianity. But no matter what else can be said, he was also someone’s husband, someone’s father, someone’s son, someone’s friend. A life snuffed out by a wicked man’s intention, and a sad reminder of our times.
Friends rebuilding their life with their son after being targeted by a corrupt legal system…a beloved sister grieving the death of her daughter to drugs…a dear brother recently baptized into Christ struggling with the murder of a good friend….a beloved sister in Christ struggling with the passing of her sister…a close friend weeping for her daughter in jail….a young friend traumatized by horrific scenes from a natural disaster….a close friend courageously struggling to establish a new life in Pikeville and facing hardships…
As I was pulling up to meet my friend from West Virginia for lunch, these thoughts (and others) were all going through my mind.
I was exhausted !
But then I remembered something that helped me.
Something that still helps me, and I hope will help you too, when you get stuck in your head.
Romans 8:37-39-Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I talked with Jesus, and He helped me.
He doesn’t make the struggles go away (yet), but He bears them with us. And when they are too much for us, He gives us the strength we need to continue on.
One step at a time.
Friends, we have a Savior Who knows what we are going through, and He is with His people every step of the way on this journey of life.
“It is one of the most comforting and profound truths in all of Scripture: Jesus understands. He is not an impersonal or distant deity, detached from the struggles of human life. He is not a cold observer seated high in the heavens, watching with disinterest as we suffer below. No—He is the compassionate Savior who entered fully into our world. He walked our dusty roads, felt hunger and thirst, endured rejection and betrayal, wept at gravesides, and groaned under the weight of sorrow and agony. The humanity of Christ was not a symbolic gesture—it was real, raw, and redemptive. The writer of Hebrews declares this boldly: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4: 15, KJV). These words carry deep significance. Jesus, our Great High Priest, is not only aware of our pain—He is touched by it. The Greek word translated “touched” in this passage implies a deep, emotional empathy. It means to feel something alongside another person. This is not mere sympathy from a distance—it is divine empathy in the trenches. This truth lies at the heart of the Christian faith and sets it apart from all other worldviews. Many religions exalt a god who is powerful, transcendent, and beyond comprehension—but in Christianity, we find something utterly astonishing: a God who became man. A God who stooped low to lift us high. A holy, righteous Lord who did not shield Himself from suffering, but willingly embraced it in the fullest measure. Jesus did not merely come to teach or to perform miracles—though He did both. He came to feel what we feel. To experience the weight of temptation, the sting of betrayal, the ache of loneliness, the agony of the cross. He came to redeem pain by sharing in it. This is why the name given to Him at His birth means so much: Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1: 23). Not “God above us” or “God beyond us,” but God with us. With us in the pain. With us in the loss. With us in the fear. With us in the tears. This presence is not abstract—it is personal. Because Jesus lived as we live and suffered as we suffer, He can comfort us like no one else can. When you feel abandoned, misunderstood, or overwhelmed, remember this: Jesus has been there. When you cry out in despair, know that your Savior wept too. When you are tempted, know that He faced the same struggle—but overcame. And because He overcame, He offers you strength, mercy, and grace in your time of need. There is no pain He cannot heal, no sorrow He does not understand. In Jesus Christ, we find not only a perfect Savior but a perfectly understanding High Priest—one who is touched by our pain and moves heaven on our behalf.” (David M Arnold, The Empathy of Jesus Christ: Finding Strength in His Understanding-How The Savior Understands Our Struggles And Walks With Us Daily, 14-16 (Kindle Edition): Independently Published)
Whatever is going on today, talk to Jesus. He is always here for us, and with us. Let me pray this prayer with you and for you that I learned from a good friend.
Thanks Lord for always being there. Amen.