Wake up to find a text that Pastor Saeed Abedini has been released from the Iranian Prison. Something we have been praying for, for YEARS! Praise the Lord! Go on Facebook to see pictures and posts of him all over. What glorious day! Feeling glad because I have been exercising and eating so clean lately. My body and health feel great.
Why am I still sad?
Dealing with depression is something that I feel and fear will never go away. I have had many many good days this past few months. I contribute it to eating healthy, working out, focusing on helping others, and most importantly, spending time with my God. I thought maybe, these days were over. I thought maybe, just maybe, I kicked this depression thing in the butt.
I thought wrong!
And it is OK! It is! I can do it. I can keep going! I know that I will have good days and I will have bad days or sad days. I know that God is there every step with me. I know that because He has been, He will be, and He was with others.
Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
I feel that David surely had dark times in his life. We know this by reading about him in the Bible. I feel that He knew God led him in places of restoration, of safety, and of peace so he clung to that hope that it would happen again. But I also feel that he wrote "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." for a reason. He had dark times. Isolated times. He knew he needed to cling to Christ and cling to the hope that is in Him.
Even if every day for the rest of my life was waking up sad, lonely, and dark, I would and will keep going! Because He will restore my soul, He will lead me besides still waters, He will be with me and is with me, and heaven is a place where there will be no darkness. I look forward to that!
If you are reading this and have dark days, sad days, keep going. You are needed! You are worth it! You are here for a reason! Please, reach out and seek help. Reach out to me! I will be here with you! We can make it together!
