HOGpreacher

Recently and for some time now I have struggled with depression. Actually the depression has been part of my life for about 15 years (officially). It is the most likely cause of some of my most horrendous decisions.

In the last 4 months my short term memory has all but left me, correspondence with people has been misinterpreted as libelous, good intentions and support taken to be something more and my ticker (heart) is healthy as an ox. At least there is one thing the depression has not damaged. Smile all you depressed people.

I work with addicts, alcoholics and mental health patients every day at the Med Center. I fully relate with many of them. Those times when there is not hope and feeling helpless is the norm.

People tell me they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. It takes them a while to grasp they are not looking down a tunnel but into a cave. Caves are where people get lost, go down one corridor without light and cannot find their way back. Caves are damp and full of "scary" things. Things like slippery slopes, falling rocks, wild animals and. . . . BATS!

When in a state of mental health distress, common sense and rational thought are not possible, not often. It looks like a cave, feels like a cave and thus. . must be a cave.

HOWEVER . . . .

When I see the cave in front of me I work hard at focusing on Christ. You see, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, faced His darkest hour. His level of anxiety caused the sweating of blood and momentarily doubt of His heavenly Father.

Luke 22:39-44

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (NIV)

"Father, if you are willing" are words of second guessing, words of doubt. Though only for an instance, Christ truly did experience anxiety and depression. He experienced everything we do and understands us very well.

Christ was crucified and buried . . . IN A CAVE. It was dark and he descended into an even darker place . . HELL. A place where there is No God, only the gnashing of teeth and the wailing of the damned. Isolation, darkness, hopelessness and evil. The cave was Jesus' coffin.

But what happened? The seal of the tomb was broken, the cave was opened. Why? For Jesus to "escape", was the stone rolled away because Jesus couldn't do it? No, it was rolled away to let out the Light of the World, it was opened so that fear could not conquer, it was opened to prove the tomb was empty and not a frightening place to be. Christ is the light that turns all our caves into tunnels. Thus, as the old time religion song states, "I saw the light, no more darkness, no more night."

The caves we enter can be flooded with the eternal light of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Christ brings Holy Light.

Maybe I can convince my friend, Bill, to write a song about O Holy Light.

Right now, my struggle is real and my cave is before me. But then again, so is my Lord Jesus Christ and my way is not as dark as a moment ago.

THE EMPTY TOMB IS NOT RUMOR!

Labels: Depression, Easter, Fear, Hope, LIght, Love.

# posted by Webb @ Thursday, February 07, 2008