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How I See “The D-Word” therealwil.com

I want to talk a bit about the D-word (depression). I like so many have tried to put it words but somehow many have come up short. If “D” we’re a person, place or a thing, it might be easier to explain. I wanted to try to take a shot at describing this thing called depression through my own past experience.  What upsets and frustrates me about depression is, the denial of its true existence and the poor skills exhibited within the ranks of Christians on how to identify, minister to, and deliver a Christian victim from its deadly grip. Not verbally claiming something’s existence does not remove its existence. The reason why so many people suffer from depression, is those who struggle with it keep it a secret. They are in fear of being singled out as faithless or ungodly.
I think it would be good to hear from those that have been personally been attacked by it, found themselves entangled in it, or at least have taken a forced trip to D-town.  

There’s are no city lights or welcome signs to indicate that you have arrived in D-town. As a matter of fact, no one intentionally sets the family GPS to these coordinates. I promise you Map Quest or Siri can’t pinpoint this place as a real location, but take my word for it, it’s a real place.

I know of a few roads into this place that I want to share with you. One way into “D-town” is to experience a major loss or set back of some sort. If the loss is great enough and if it throws your heart and mind spinning out of control fast enough and long enough, when you wake up, you can possibly be in “D-town.” If just enough heart break, betrayal, and loss(income, loved one, and or reputation) come to you unannounced and punch you square in your face and blindside you, It can knock you off your feet, but when you regain your balance, be careful because you may very well may be in “D-town.”  

Many people that are residents here in “D-town” don’t really know they are in a new place because everything looks the same. The drapes and carpet, the paint on the walls and even the decorations look exactly the same. As a matter of fact, the people are the same. One of the MAJOR differences in “D-town” and the rest of the world is, everybody wakes up wearing dark tinted sunglasses but nobody know it. The way you see the world now is through gloom tinted lenses. Even when the sun is shining its brightest, to “D-town” residents it’s gloomy and gray. 

If Depression is not a location then maybe it’s a cloud that hovers over just your head. Regardless where you go, the cloud hovers over you. It’s as if you have your own personal rain cloud that continually rains on you and only you, wherever you go. It would be good if this cloud only hovered and poured showers on your head outside, but this cloud and rain goes everywhere you go. No place is off limits. If you go, it goes. You can sing in the choir, preach in the pulpit, sit in your living room, or shop for groceries, but you will do it all with the cloud hovering over your head, and rain showering down upon you.  

What makes depression so tough is that even the strongest person would get tired of waking up, working and driving, eating and sleeping in the rain everyday. I want to share some GOOD NEWS with someone that may be reading and possibly identifying with these words. 

ONE DAY THE RAIN CLOUD WILL NOT SHOW UP IN YOUR LIFE. THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN FOR YOU, IF YOU HOLD ON AND HOLD OUT!!

Hold on to God and His promises.  

Exercise patience and HOLD OUT!! Wait on God!! HE will deliver you!!

One day I woke up and the cloud didn’t SHOW UP!! Thank GOD for deliverance!! If HE can do it for me, HE CAN DO THE SAME THING FOR YOU!! Proverbs 3:5-6