Two years ago I shared my journey through some of the darkest days of my life. I gave you the inside scoop of what it looked like to be depressed and a pastor’s wife. It sounds so ugly when I put that way, but those words don’t seem to fit too well all in the same sentence. If you missed it, you can find the series here.

Today, I’m living a different life. It’s a beautiful one that doesn’t go very close to that darkness we call depression. It’s not because I’m never tempted to sink back beneath the surface, but it’s because God has given me a chance to change my way of thinking and living.

I know there is clinical depression that this will not apply to, but the depression I’m speaking to today is the circumstantial depression that life leads us into.

If you’ve ever been depressed or feel yourself tempted to sink beneath the waves of this life, this is a life raft for you!

Get up and get ready for the day.

Too many days I have pulled the covers back up over my head and avoided the reality of life. I’ve fallen beneath the weight of depression and let it take hold of me. I’m learning a new way to live, a new method. It’s not that I always get it right or have completely conquered depression, but God is teaching me how to get up, over and over and over again. And when I do, I find so much more than what depression offers me.

God’s way is so much better, so much brighter, and filled with the beauty of a life of purpose.

You can have that too! For today, get up! Take a shower. Put on clothes that make you feel beautiful and look the best that you can look.

The outside doesn’t dominate the inside, but what is on the inside does come out. So if we are constantly living in the depths of despair, our appearance will soon follow suit.

For me, this means sometimes I need a little extra under-eye concealer and clothing that compliments my skin rather than drags it down even further.

Write God’s Word in a journal.

Once you’ve gotten the outside tended to, take a look on the inside. Open God’s Word and begin to write the words you see. At first this might just seem like a penmanship exercise, but soon you will connect with the words.

God’s Word does not return void. So let’s devour it. Let’s read it and when we are too weak to read it, let’s write it. When I write the words of Scripture, I begin to see the truth within it. If not today, when I open my journal tomorrow: because there on the pages of my journal is the Word of God. Not just any word, but God’s Word for me.

Write down your prayers in a journal.

So often I’ve found myself without the strength to say the words out loud. To express my need in spoken words would take so much emotional strength that I might collapse. If you’ve ever experienced depression, you know exactly what I mean. So, instead, God has taught me a new way to pray in these seasons.

I take out the same journal that my scriptures are written in and I write my prayers. Sometimes it might be one sentence like, “Dear God, I need you.” Other days it might be pages of words I didn’t even realize I had inside. There is something therapeutic about putting words from the heart to the page. If you don’t have the words to pray, this might be an exercise that will help you process your thoughts and pray your deepest desires.

God hears you even when you don’t have words.

I know what it’s like to be in that dark place and I pray you’ll find the light you are looking for. I have. His name is Jesus. If you already know Him, you might struggle with my words today. You might fight the idea of finding deliverance from your desperate place. But let me tell you truth. There is life beyond the place you are in right now. There is a way out. There is an escape. And precious friend, you will get through this. It’s not time to pull the covers up over your head.

It’s time to get up! Rise to your feet! Take a shower! And get dressed!

Now, take a deep breath and go get a journal.

Love & Blessings,