Framing

This past Sunday morning I prayed with a lady who was suffering with depression. It reminded me of my own struggles with this debilitating disease and how the Lord has led me through it. It is sad how so many in our society suffer with this issue yet Christians feel as though depression is some sort of sin resulting from a lack of faith. I'm sure a lack of faith can contribute to the depth or duration of it, but it is rarely the cause.

My struggle began when I was a young boy whose father and oldest brother were serving in Vietnam. I would watch the names of all the dead and missing every night before dinner to see if either of them had died. After a while I began to cry over each name that scrolled by. Then the sadness began to overwhelm me during unexpected times and in unexpected places. I needed help and I received it. The struggle is now hardly worth mentioning, yet often enough to remind me how so many others suffer.

A long time ago, I learned a simple, yet effect mental exercise that helped me go through my particular version of depression. This exercise also helps me with stress, worry and any other issue that can effect my work or family. It is called framing.

The reason you frame a picture is not to hold it on the wall. It is to prevent the colors in the room from influencing the colors of the picture and to focus attention on its content. If the picture is not framed it doesn't look the way the artist had intended. The same can be applied to our thoughts and emotions.

When a worrisome, stressful or depressing situation arrises, I purposely frame it in my mind and refuse to allow it to mingle with the other facets of my life. This is a process that you may need help to learn and trust. When you succeed in framing the issue, your spouse, children, friends, etc are able to experience a person who is not preoccupied by the issues of life and you get to experience them with your whole mind and heart. This is very helpful for those who suffer with depression or anger because relationships are the first thing adversely affected.

If you struggle with depression, tell someone and get help today. Things can be better.
With love and empathy,
I'm Just Saying

God is Good

God is good. Seems simple enough. If you're going to believe in a god, they might as well be good. I'm a Christian. That means I believe in the God of Bible and I believe Jesus Christ is God along with the Father and Holy Spirit. Now, that's not simple. God shouldn't be.

God is good. Christians say they believer this and the Bible backs it up. As a pastor, I find myself in one mess after another. No matter how hard I try to keep my own mess to a minimum, I can't avoid them. It's a calling. When a mess develops many of those involved seem to drop the idea that God is good and start blaming Him. Some hate Him for it. Some say "God must be trying to teach me something." Others believe God is punishing them. When you think this way, God just doesn't seem so good anymore.

The truth is, God is good and we are not so good at all. God created you with the capacity  to love. To love you must be able to choose between several option. You can hate, ignore, like, love or several other options. Without this capability you cannot love. It is this ability to choose that is to blame for everything that is not good. God took this risk (another essential for love) so that we might love Him like He loves us.

Next time you fall into a mess, remember, God didn't make it. One of us did.

I'm Just Saying!