In the movie Forest Gump there is a scene where Forest joins
the Army and goes to Viet Nam. He is walking in water up
to his chest and he states that one day it just started
raining and it kept on raining. My wife and I served as
missionaries in Asia and we know what he was talking about.
It’s called the Monsoon season. While we were out
there we felt the oppression of what seemed like endless
dark days and bad weather. Many struggle with short bouts
of depression during times like that. In the scriptures
we see David fighting his own battles with the blues. He
says in Psalms 13:2 “How long shall I take counsel
(struggle or wrestle) in my soul, having sorrow in my heart
daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”
Depression will take many forms; it can be from mild to
debilitating. The major things to look for are things like
these. Do you feel sad or irritable? Have you lost interest
in pleasurable activities? Are you gaining or losing weight?
Are you sleeping too much or not enough? Is your body restless,
agitated or lethargic? Do you feel fatigued? Do you have
feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt? Can you
concentrate and make decisions? Have you had thoughts of
hurting yourself?
The truth is that everybody feels depressed at times. Other
great people in the Bible struggled with the blues. Jeremiah
and Job are two notable examples. The thing that I notice
is that God never abandons them. David ultimately gives
the right response to the blues when he says in verses 5-6
“But I have trusted in thy mercy (unfailing love);
my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto
the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me”.
Feeling blue comes to everybody! This is perfectly normal.
We at Granberry Counseling Center are here for the Monsoon
Seasons of life. Our Counselors know how to identify the
full range of depressive issues and we know how to help.
Blessings on you!
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