Depression's Deep Hole

Several friends have been suffering from recent bouts of depression. I know all too well the hopelessness they feel. There is nothing more overwhelming than being controlled by depression. You can be fine one moment and it will blindside you the next. You can be happy on Monday and on Tuesday you can hardly get yourself out of bed. There is no rhyme or reason for its onset. There is no logical pattern for its existence. Depression comes and goes as it pleases. It hurts you because it destroys you from the inside out. Make no mistake... depression is a destructive force, a would-be killer, and it is not something you should attempt to tackle on your own. Depression is a disease. Fight it like you would fight any other physical disease... with a doctor's care, with the support of family and friends, with prayer and diligence. Depression is not a sign that a person is crazy. It merely signifies that a person is hurting and needs help to overcome.

I spent years fighting depression and there are still times when it tries to take hold of me again. To those of you battling it now, let me encourage you to remember God is greater than any circumstance in your life and more powerful than the grip depression has on you at this very moment. I've walked in your shoes. I've curled in a ball in my closet sobbing until my body ached, and prayed to die. I've felt the shame that comes with feeling like eveyone thinks you're crazy. I've sat motionless for hours, staring thru glassy eyes, unable to function, much less to live. I understand the depth of sadness you feel and I know it seems like it will never go away. But it will. If you grab the hand of Jesus, He will walk with you through the darkness and you will once again bask in the light of joy and feel the weight of depression lifted from you. The darkness of depression cannot exist in the midst of God's light. Reach to Him and He will rescue you. You are in my prayers.