If I previously used to be amazed at the hurt in people’s lives, I supposed I am now incredibilized.

Yes, I know that “incredibilized” isn’t a real word. It should be, but then I’d have to copyright and register it in order to get the financial proceeds from it… and that is a lot of trouble. So, I’ll just graciously release it into the public domain.

Why am I incredibilized?

I just saw a nice lady in her mid-forties. Gentle probing revealed childhood abuse which has resulted in lifelong self-deprecation. She has reached out to the medical community, only to be marginalized, labeled as “crazy” and given medications to take. Unfortunately, the medications made her suicidal. Desperate calls to the various physicians and clinics have resulted in useless information (“the doctor is on vacation and won’t be back for two weeks”) or simply no answer nor return phone call. Not knowing what to do but fighting to not kill herself, she decided to stop the medication.

A friend told her about me.

“Jane Doe” is, unfortunately, not an exception — she is the rule. She is the fifth person in this predicament I’ve seen this week. I cannot count on one hand the number of folks who I’ve encountered like this in the last two months; it takes both hands and both feet. The medical system has failed them, the social system has ostracized them and the church has turned its back on them.

Not a good position to be in if you want to kill yourself and the voices in your head are saying “DO IT!”

My incredulity is because of both the number of people and the failure of the system to help. It is not because there is no hope. To the contrary, my faith has soared to new levels as I’ve seen the power of simply the name “Jesus” to free them. It has made me realized that the old adage, “there’s power in the blood,” so blithely thrown around, is the equivalent of spiritual dynamite.

Instead of being discouraged, I’m being revitalized. What an opportunity the church has to make an impact in society!

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. -Acts 13:11-12