Monday, February 27, 2012

COMING OUT OF THE DARK PART 2

“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”  (Isaiah 45:3)

Mary Southerland on Crosswalk.com      info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com                          
                                            

            Children are wonderfully different. When our son, Jered, was nine months old, he began to pull up on every piece of furniture he could find. For weeks, he maneuvered his way around our home until the day he took his first step alone. It was a step of inches, but we celebrated as if he had completed a marathon. On the other hand, our daughter, Danna, had a different plan. She never pulled up on a piece of furniture and never took “a” step. When she was ten months old, Danna stood up, looked around and trotted across the room. Jered and Danna both walk extremely well today as young adults, but they both began with tiny steps and in their own way.

            Nobody gets depressed overnight and nobody overcomes depression overnight. The journey out of the pit is a process of steps uniquely planned by your Father. Let’s look at some of the steps we must take in order to find our way out of the dark.

            (1)  Wait.  The psalmist simply says, ’I waited.’ Waiting is not passive. Waiting is a time of preparation, a time of rest and healing, a time when God covers us with the shadow of His wing. To wait means to accept the pit.

            Isaiah 45:3 is a compelling verse. ..Any time the word, LORD is capitalized, it means ‘Father’ or ‘Dearest Daddy.’ This verse indicates that our Father has gone before us and, in every dark moment or painful circumstance, has buried a treasure or stored a secret. The only way we can find the treasure or learn the secret is to pass through that darkness. Some things cannot be learned in the light. The pit of depression has become a hedge of protection in my life, a warning light that something is wrong or out of balance. To wait means to accept the pit, knowing it is for our good. To wait means to admit there is a problem.  Isaiah 40:29  ‘He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak.’   

We must be willing to admit we are struggling, but pride often prevents us from doing so. Emotional health begins at the point of emotional integrity, being willing to say “I need help!” and being honest with ourselves and with others. When clinical depression first overwhelmed my life, my husband, Dan, was the pastor of a large, fast-growing church in South Florida. We could choose to be transparent and real or we could sweep my struggle under the rug. We concluded that to be right, we had to be real. Dan and I shared my battle with the staff, the deacons and then with the entire church.  Yes, we took a risk but learned an important lesson in doing so. A shared load is a lighter load because we were created to need each other.

            To wait means to be still. ‘I waited.’ To wait means to hope in and look for someone or something who will rescue us.

            So much about God can never be known on the run. We can get so wrapped up in everyday life that we fail to be wrapped up in Him. The busier we are, the more stillness and rest we need. During those two years in the pit, I not only gave up every role of leadership in church, I could not even attend church at times because of panic attacks. The Father taught me an important truth. He is more concerned with who I am than what I do.

(2) Cry out for help.  Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.”

People struggling with depression often look for help in the wrong places. Let me share with you some of the right places. God, Your Father stands waiting to hear your voice; and when you cry out to Him, He comes running – through His Word, through prayer and through His people. There was a terrible storm and the little girl was afraid. When she cried out in fear, her father came running down the hall, into the bedroom and scooped her up in his arms as he said, ‘Honey, God will take care of you.’ The tearful child replied, ‘I know God loves me and will take care of me but right now, I need somebody with skin on.’ If you cry out to God, He will come to you in some way.

Doctors and counselors. Proverbs 15:22 gives us an important truth when it says, Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success.’  I encourage anyone experiencing depression to get a physical because depression is often rooted in a physical problem, requiring medication. The medication does not eliminate the depression but simply levels the playing field so whatever is triggering the depression can be addressed. Christian counselors are a gift from God. He knew we would need them.

Others. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 instructs us to ‘encourage each other and give each other strength.’ I would never have survived the pit of clinical depression without the help and encouragement of family and friends. Members of our church brought meals, cleaned house and helped take care of our kids.  The deacons were guardian angels at church and other women took my place in leadership. I would still be in that pit if it were not for these people who helped rescue me. Has it affected their opinion of me? Yes! It has shown them that I am just like them and has given them permission to face their own weaknesses. You may be thinking, ‘I have no one in my life that will help me.’ If you cry out to God, He will bring you help.”   (More in another post: Part 3 of Coming Out of the Dark 1/29/12

jowildflowers@gmail.com  jean-oathout.blogspot.com Tomorrow’s post:

CHRIST NEEDS A HUMAN: Prayer Note # 17

Some titles to come:

COMING OUT OF THE DARK PART 3
THE HEAVENLY PATTERN
HEAVENLY PRAYER LANGUAGE
A HOLY GHOST FACE LIFT
THE BEAUTY OF ROMANTIC LOVE

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