What A Difference!

 Have you ever suffered from depression? I have and here are a few things I have learned along the way.

It can feel like falling into a deep, dark pit filled with quicksand.
Depression can hurt, not only emotionally, but physically.
It can affect my ability to think clearly.
I may become restless, unable to sleep, and lose interest in my usual activities. I may lose hope.

 Winston Churchill suffered from clinical depression and called it the “black dog.” 

If you find yourself in the clutches of this disease, get help. And do it today. Talk to someone you trust. You may need to contact a trained professional. You could have a chemical imbalance, or perhaps you have suffered abuse, rejection, or feelings of unworthiness and have kept the hurt and anger inside yourself and it’s eating you alive.

 I am thankful I no longer need medication or counseling, but if I should again, I would gladly accept whatever it took to help me get well.

 Thirty or so years ago I was depressed and didn’t realize it. My doctor at the time, bless him, did. I was so ashamed. I didn’t even share with my husband that I had begun taking medication. Actually, I didn’t tell anyone. What would people think?

 I am a Christian and I thought I should be able to handle whatever came my way. I was wrong, on many counts. Because I am human, I cannot handle anything on my own. The good Lord did not create us to journey through our earthy lives alone. Now I cry out to Jesus and lean on Him. He has never failed me.

Today, I sometimes will see depression lurking in the shadows ready to pounce. I am most vulnerable when tired or sick, or even more so when disappointed in circumstances not unfolding like I had planned. Imagine thinking I am the one in control. That’s when I pray the hardest and try to give everything over to the one who knows my every thought and fear and insecurity, yet loves me anyway. Yes, mess that I am, Jesus loves me. He loves you. That makes all the difference.

Zephaniah 3:17
He (the Lord) will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you by His love. He will exult over you with loud singing.