I went through a period in the pandemic of quite poor mental health

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘The text that made a difference to me was Matthew 14.22–33 where Jesus walks on the water, and rescues Peter as he sinks beneath the waves. 

‘I went through a period in the pandemic of quite poor mental health. I had previously been diagnosed with OCD and general anxiety. They were well-managed, but in the job I was in and with things at home, I became quite poorly. 

‘I planned to kill myself. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor crying out to God. The desire to live was still there. 

‘This text is important to me because I did an online retreat in which we did imaginative prayer. I imagined myself as Peter. I felt that Jesus had got me. I physically felt his hand on my wrist and him saying that he had got me. My goodness, that was a powerful experience.

‘That strengthened my faith and brought me out of what had been a very dark period. That dim light is there, even in the darkest periods. God is calling out to you, “I have got you”. Whatever else happens in my life, I have got this. 

‘I have a little altar at home now with a picture of this scene and I pray in front of this picture. That always reminds me that there is nothing to be afraid of. Through the storms and after the pandemic, I have an ultimate hope in God. 

‘My mental health is well-managed now, and I’m a trustee of an OCD charity.’

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