Depression

Many of us, if we were honest, deal with depression.  Often there is a reason for it, but for most it comes without a cause and often on days when we should be happy with life.

It's hard to describe to someone who doesn't struggle with it.  Those who are in the midst of depression are most often unwilling to tell you for fear you will try to "help them".   "If you just trusted the Lord", "Why are you down? Don't you see all God had done for you?" or "How could you be depressed? Look at your life, look at how good God is!"  

The help doesn't help.  The "cure" from friends and well meaning family often just makes it worse.  In fact, those who struggle with depression KNOW their lives don't justify the way they feel.  It's not about circumstances, it's not about trusting God.  It's much more insidious than that.  In fact it does feel like that dark cloud you can't escape.  No matter what you do the depression follows you.

Most who struggle with depression won't tell you about it.  They do their best to put on a good face, smile when needed and look "normal", but they are far from it.  It's a suffering that most don't understand or even know how to help...but we all want to help.  We all want our friends, our family to "feel better".  

As you can tell by my thoughts I'm rambling a bit...throwing out words as they come in the midst of this struggle in my own life.  It's chronic in some families.  It's chronic in mine.  I inherited the malady, and struggle with it, like many of you.  It's never my desire to inflict my struggles on someone else. When they know I'm depressed they suddenly feel obligated to "help", but there isn't really anything they can do.

It's a journey each person must go through on their own, finding their way, trusting God with the pain and cloudy skies, figuring out how to think, how to live in the midst of moods that may have no reason for being.  King David is the hero of anyone struggling with depression.  He battled it often, and sometimes with good reason- Saul was trying to kill him!

But what David did, a man out of his time, is journal his odysseys of depression and struggle.  He wrote down his thoughts for the rest of us.  He was brutally honesty in a most painful way at times.  But in his journals (we call them Psalms) we see a man who learned to navigate depression.  His journals have encourage millions for centuries as they have walked their own dark paths.  

If you are struggling with depression today here are words from another who walked the dark paths himself,

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." Psalms 42

His words continue as he works through his thoughts, he works through them with God.  Often he asks why, often he complains, but always he goes to God and trusts him....even in the midst of depression.  If you walk this path, and millions do, don't forget you are not alone.  God will walk the path with you if you will let him.

David's words again as I close, "Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death you are with me."  Psalms 23

Even on the dark days, the days of depression, God is with you.