I don’t know why, but sometimes depression hits me like a ton of lead. I can be going along quite nicely, and then – BOOM! Completely incapacitated for a few minutes, hours, or days. I’ve tried to notice patterns in the onset. Maybe a specific recurring event that triggers it, or maybe the weather. But, I can’t always seem to put my finger on the ultimate cause.

There are times that are more obvious than others. Like, when the weather has been dreary and gloomy for days, or when I haven’t been spending time with God. Those times, I can clearly see why I have been rendered useless.

But, even when I can see the cause, it can be so difficult to break the cycle. It can be such a downward spiral of being discontent and then not able to break out of it, and then feeling worse, and then still not able to break out of it, and then… it just continues.

In the Pit of Depression…

Recently, I lost a week. Sure, I still got up in the morning, got my kids off to school, and kissed my husband goodbye as he left for work. But, after that, it was rough. I just couldn’t muster up the energy to leave the couch.

I tried – I’d get up and start to tackle one of the items on my list, but it would just get too overwhelming, and I’d stop. Then there were times when I didn’t even try.

For me, the guilt would then set in as I wasn’t being productive and just wasn’t able to get done everything I thought I should have that day. So, I added the guilt to the mix to really make things interesting.

So then what? What are we supposed to do when we get caught up in the cycle of falling further and further down the pit of depression? I’m trying to gather my rope now – while I’m at the top – to be my safety line for the next time I start sliding down the slippery sides.

God’s Way Out

In church, this past Sunday, one of the passages was from Hebrews. The verses referred to God’s promises and what they mean to us.

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizidek.

Hebrews 6:17-20 NIV

Hope.

What a glorious thing that is! Through God, we have hope. Regardless of our current situation, or the things we deal with on a daily basis, there is always hope.

What I have learned, and am still learning…

I realized that I wasn’t looking past my own “stuff” to actually see the hope that is there for me. I was weaving my own rope of sadness and self-pity that anchored me to the bottom of the pit. With those cords pulling me down, I didn’t have the strength to resist. I just followed that rope down further and further.

Standing at the top of the hill today, I now notice the other rope attached to me. The one from God woven with hope and love. This rope is my true lifeline. This is the one I need to cling to. Regardless of my circumstances, this rope is anchored securely in the place I want to be.

Your thoughts?

How about you? Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed with depression at the bottom trying to find your way back to the top? What promises of God do you use to strengthen your rope? I’d love to hear your thoughts as I continue to reinforce mine.