A Beacon of Hope
Natalie Tyndall // UGA Grad Student
Gen Z: The Anxious generation-- that is what the world refers to us as. Studies show that we are the loneliest, most depressed generation thus far. While this is easy to see if you step on UGA's campus, what does this mean for us as Christians? Is it okay for Christians to be anxious, even depressed? And what role does the Church play in being the hands and feet of Jesus to a generation paralyzed by fear and hopelessness? All these questions flooded my mind during my freshman year of college as I became stuck in endless anxiety spirals and stuck in deep depression, just weeks before I spent a summer in Boston.
If you have been around Watty, you may have heard the buzz about Boston. College students and high schoolers spend spring breaks there, even full summers, serving the local church plants. Why Boston? In this city, only 3% claim to be Believers, and it is home to many refugees and international students. I like to think fondly of my summer in Boston as the Miracle Summer; it was a time when the Lord intervened at my darkest moment. However, it was stained with tears of asking the Lord for deliverance, questioning His goodness, and fearing Him to be someone other than I knew Him to be. Panic seized my body on Sundays, making me shake when I tried to abide in Him through His word. My team petitioned the Lord for peace and deliverance, staying up till dawn at war for my soul. About halfway through the summer, breakthroughs began. The panic attacks lessened and hope began stirring in my hopeless soul. Through prayer, counseling, and fellowship, I was reunited with the truth that my Father loves me and is delighted to give me His kingdom (Luke 12:32). Praise God for His body, that He never leaves us to do anything on our own.
I’d like to tell you that after my time in Boston, I never felt the grip of depression again and that was the last panic attack I have ever had. However, that is far from the truth. The past 3 years have been a season of long-suffering through intense mental health battles, the first of which the Lord won in Boston. Joshua 4 instructs us to erect markers for our lives of the Lord’s faithfulness, and that summer stands as a sign the Lord will always come through. On this side of Glory, we relish His goodness and praise Him through our earthly pains. The song He has given me to sing throughout this season is Psalm 40.
I waited patiently for the Lord;
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Despite everything, He hears our cries, and He delivers. For a while, I doubted the Lord would ever pull me out of the pit of destruction because maybe He was just not finished working on me. Hallelujah that He not only finishes what He starts but is good to His children. The rest of college was spent in hours of counseling, watching the Lord break through trauma, redeeming it to tell the story of His salvation from the miry bog. Although I was not always patient in my waiting, He was faithful.
How fitting that the Lord would use the place where He first showed me His miracle-working power to call me back to Boston, answering His call for me to go. As a 9th grader, I felt the Lord place a calling on my life for missions. My pastor encouraged us to put our ‘yes’ on the table, without knowing what the Lord might ask us. I often struggled these past 4 years wondering how the pain and sadness would be a part of my ‘yes’. Would the Church count me out because I struggled with mental health? Why would God use someone riddled with anxiety, depression, and obsession disorders to advance His Kingdom? It is because that is how His Kingdom works. If He chose the most lowly to carry His son into this world, how much more will He use me and you--the anxious generation?! (John 14:12).
If you had told me at the end of GenSend that I would move back in three years, I would not have believed you. This move is only possible through the healing and strength the Lord has provided. Throughout college, I have kept this verse near to my heart, to remind myself there is a purpose in why we suffer: “That they may see and know, and may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:20. The Lord has done a victorious work and is continuing to heal me through obeying this call to Boston. I pray that through sharing my story, your hope in His wonder working power would be renewed--He is more than able to do the same in your life. If you or someone you know is in a similar season, I am praying the Lord would shine HOPE in the darkest of places. The Lord NEVER counts us out of His will & desire that none should perish! His power is perfected in weakness! So, may we rejoice all the more because He does nothing in vain. My hope is that you would know these truths, and we would see Him transform us from the anxious generation to one emboldened by Him.
As the Church, we have a job to love and care for those in our body. The reality of our broken world is that some are always struggling and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Here are some practical steps to take toward healing and loving the Body:
If you are struggling with mental health:
Talk to a trusted friend or mentor
Consider talking to a professional (the church has great recommendations!)
Meditate on the promises of God by memorizing scripture
Find a song to sing this season
If your community is struggling:
Fight for them daily in prayer
Help meet their visible needs (food, exercise, fellowship)
Be a willing and listening ear
Practice empathy
Do not give up on them! Be a consistent presence in their life!
Natalie Tyndall is a grad student at the University of Georgia, continuing her education in Elementary Education and Spanish. She serves at Watkinsville in kids and youth after serving as a missions intern for 2 years. After graduating from UGA in December 2023, she felt the Lord leading her to move to Boston and join a Watkinsville church plant, Kings Hill. She will be moving to Boston in August to be a 2nd grade teacher in Boston Public Schools. She enjoys walks, coffee, hanging with friends, and playing with her cat, Kirk.
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Natalie Tyndall // UGA Grad Student