{"id":14901,"date":"2014-08-17T20:53:33","date_gmt":"2014-08-18T01:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/?p=14901"},"modified":"2015-12-12T21:44:03","modified_gmt":"2015-12-13T03:44:03","slug":"the-dark-clouds-of-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/17\/the-dark-clouds-of-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dark Clouds Of Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"
The choices this week of a dearly loved comedian, Robin Williams, bring to light a struggle many people live with and battle most of their lives. It’s far too common. \u00a0Just last year my\u00a0niece, Dez, committed suicide in a similar way to Robin. \u00a0It’s sad, tragic, and shocking for many of us who know them and don’t often see the dark clouds they live with, the depression they can’t seem to escape.<\/div>\n
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Like many of you, I have struggled with depression most of my life. \u00a0It’s a family burden and one my mother deals with as well so I’m not simply writing thoughts as a casual observer, but as an unwilling participant. \u00a0Over the years my own struggles have made me aware of how difficult depression is to battle. \u00a0There are days that begin with the dread of what’s ahead. \u00a0It demands, for me, an ongoing battle against the darkness.<\/div>\n
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As my wife wrote recently, “depression brings a hopelessness that makes life feel like a dirty trick.” \u00a0I get that and if you have battled depression you understand it as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some would say that if you are a Christian you shouldn’t have problems with depression. They would then try to help by giving you some bible verses and tell you to “just get over it!” \u00a0But it’s really more insidious than that. \u00a0It weaves its dark shadows through a life and shows up at the most unexpected times. \u00a0For my sweet niece it was the middle of the night and she could no longer live with her dark moments. \u00a0She made a permanent choice for a temporary problem and we, her family, are left devastated.<\/div>\n
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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, you need to know it’s a common human malady we all battle at times. You are not alone even in the dark moments when you think no one cares. The morning sun will come and the dark clouds will lift.<\/div>\n
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Some may struggle with depression on a regular basis and come to a point where they just don’t think they can go on another day. \u00a0If that is you, don’t give up. \u00a0Talk to someone. Get help. See a doctor. Call a friend. Talk to your pastor. \u00a0The dark clouds of the moment will pass. The sun will shine again. \u00a0There are people who love you, you are not alone.<\/div>\n
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When you see someone going through a time of depression pray for them, listen to them and be there for them. \u00a0If they threaten suicide call for help immediately! Don’t wait!! \u00a0Any threat of suicide should be taken seriously.<\/div>\n
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Years ago, in my first church, one of our dear members took his own life in the bedroom of his five year old daughter on her birthday. \u00a0It was a tragedy magnified by the situation and the day. \u00a0But once he made the choice the lives of everyone around him were changed forever!<\/div>\n
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For those of you living with depression get help, tell someone, ask God for his help. \u00a0He is there and he will come to your rescue in that dark place. \u00a0There is help! \u00a0Ann Voscamp wrote about depression in her recent blog. \u00a0Her words are helpful on this topic. I encourage you to read her August 12th post at\u00a0http:\/\/www.aholyexperience.com\/<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n
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One of my favorite bible authors is David, a man who battled depression in his own life. \u00a0In one of his journals (Psalms 40) he talked about being in a miry pit of despair and unable to get out. \u00a0It was a dark place for him, a time of real depression. \u00a0What he describes in these words is what everyone battling depression needs- HOPE! \u00a0There is hope and it comes from God. These are encouraging words from someone who struggled with depression and found help in God,<\/div>\n
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\u201cI waited patiently for the\u00a0Lord\u00a0to help me,<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>and he turned to me and heard my cry.<\/i><\/div>\n
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>out of the mud and the mire.<\/i><\/div>\n
He set my feet on solid ground<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>and steadied me as I walked along.<\/i><\/div>\n
He has given me a new song to sing,<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>a hymn of praise to our God.<\/i><\/div>\n
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/span>They will put their trust in the\u00a0Lord.<\/i><\/div>\n
Oh, the joys of those who trust the\u00a0Lord.\u201d<\/i><\/div>\n
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Visit Mike at FinishingWell<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The choices this week of a dearly loved comedian, Robin Williams, bring to light a struggle many people live with and battle most of their lives. It’s far too common. \u00a0Just last year my\u00a0niece, Dez, committed suicide in a similar way to Robin. \u00a0It’s sad, tragic, and shocking for many of us who know them … <\/p>\n

Read more “The Dark Clouds Of Depression”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mike"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianrep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}