Starting today and running through October 30th, She’s in the City is hosting a series called More Precious Than Gold – because all of us are just that! The series will encourage women of all ages on endurance in various seasons of depletion and disappointment and was inspired from the following passage in 1 Peter:
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
-1 Peter 1:6-7
Each week’s episode will focus on a different season of trial or weariness we face as women. Which begs the question: what if this week’s season doesn’t apply to me? My encouragement is LISTEN ANYWAY! If you haven’t yet experienced something, it’s likely a loved one or dear SHE around you has. We hope in those cases, our talks in the coming weeks can foster compassion in you and serve as a comfort to share with those in your life who are facing these specific seasons.
My new favorite motto, which is noted in this week’s episode, is this:
“WE’D RATHER BE WITH YOU IN YOUR MESS THAN ALONE IN OURS.” I hope y’all feel the same!
While battles with depression and anxiety are still plagued by social stigma, they may actually be more the norm than exception. Whether circumstantially, chemically, or hormonally induced, like post-partum depression, the dark clouds of depression and anxiety affect many we love, even if they don’t personally affect us.
In everything from panic attacks and generalized anxiety to chronic depression, those afflicted suffer both the diseases’ cyclical nature as well as their often indefinite impetus. There is not surprisingly much frustration and even shame about the elusive nature of depression and anxiety, and even worse is the reality that coping, rather than curing, is generally the only strategy for enduring its effects.
OUR GUESTS THIS WEEK GIVE MANY STRATEGIES BY WHICH TO ENDURE AND FIND LIGHT IN FACING DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY: -Prayer and worship (this can simply be playing praise music!)
-Faithful counselor/therapist
-Medication when necessary, to be at your best both for yourself and your loved ones
-Planning one thing daily to look forward to (large or small!)
-Finding one victory or achievement daily to be grateful for (large or small!)
-Speaking directly to your depression (see Psalm 42)
-Having a “fail day” when you need to
-And if all else fails, “just pretend you’re in a Seinfeld episode!”
Because depression and anxiety are not issues we can reason our way out of, many of these practical and spiritual practices serve to pierce one day’s darkness with enough small rays of light to simply see through to the next. And the biggest practice of all is honesty! We need to talk about it! Isolation is its gravest enemy of both depression and anxiety. If we’re not talking about it, we’re alone. If we’re not talking about it, the enemy wins. Daria, this week’s guest admits that for a long time, she never said anything about feeling so down.
“I JUST THOUGHT I WAS REALLY SAD, BUT THERE WASN’T THE LANGUAGE OF, ‘I’M DEPRESSED.’” We need to talk about it! Whether that outlet is a counselor or a loved one, the ladies speak wise instruction on how to include and instruct others (friends, spouses, kids) to walk with us through the dark days and the good ones. And most of all we must keep our eyes on eternity, where all is made joyful, and remind ourselves what Daria’s husband often tells her:
“You’re going to be okay, and even if you’re not, you’re still going to be okay.”
Comentarios