Depression can be a gift.
Sounds like some Pollyanna gibberish at best, doesn’t it?
It isn’t.
God promises He can take anything meant to harm us and turn it into something good. Certainly, depression is meant to harm.
Can we agree we’ve all received a gift we didn’t like? (We’ve given a few as well.) But have you received one of those unwanted gifts and then ended up really liking it? I have.
It was a very small spatula. What does one do with a very small spatula? As it turns out, just about everything. In fact, I get very upset now if I can’t find it.
Depression has been like that for me. When I originally wrote this article for our church newsletter, I was experiencing my first anxiety attack in a very long time.
But as I typed I knew that every word of encouragement was true no matter how I was feeling at the time. Did you get what I just said? Even while feeling “down” I knew that there was hope.
Sad emotions give us a heads-up that something needs to be addressed.
So I typed on. By the time I finished, I was feeling a little better. I knew that God was shining a light down into my pit. I knew I would find my way out because God is faithful. I also knew that I had to do my part as well.
So I did. My part, that is.
Here’s what my part was, the plan I’ve developed that I know works for me.
- exercised for thirty minutes,
- kept my mind distracted, (a great practical tool),
- tenaciously diverted my thoughts from me and my depression to God and His love,
- spoke Scripture out loud and
- kept putting one foot in front of the other.
For me, that’s the gift–the knowledge that depression is manageable, that I have an arsenal of tools I’ve developed that serve me well.
Would I knowingly ever choose depression just for that gift?
A resounding,
NO!
I often wonder,though, who I’d be otherwise. Depression has certainly humbled me.
But I do consider it a “gift”. An unwelcomed “gift”. A “gift” I hope is never given to me again. I have been forced to examine my thoughts, my word, my behavior, and my health habits. I’ve exposed myself to some great literature by some great authors.
God bless and have a good day.
