“For You have been a refuge for me; a tower of strength against the enemy (depression)….Let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” (“depression” added by me.)

While you are on this road to recovery, your moods are going to ebb and flow. There will be times during the week when you have good days and other times, you will question your recovery.

There will even be moments in the day when, for all your resolve, a sudden mood drop will send you reeling. Believe it or not, there is an explanation for that and it has to do with your thoughts. But we will wait to discuss that when we open the Toolbox. For now, just tuck that information away.

For now, it is just important to be aware that this will happen and not let it derail you when it does.

If you’ve ever had surgery you know there is that day when you feel you have completely recovered only to wake up the next day and feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.

I can’t think of a single endeavor where there are times you take a step backward even though you’ve already taken many steps forward. It’s just the nature of change.

Our bodies rebel against it. (Think of dieting.) Our minds rebel against it. (Dieting is still a good example.

Making changes in our life is difficult. Period. And changing our entire mindset, the way we view the world, our mental and physical habits, well, it’s a lot to handle.

When I began this journey, I would get discouraged at times. One day I’d be doing really well and the next I’d be in the dumps. But as time went on the drops in mood didn’t throw me back to the bottom of the pit. Each time I fell, it wasn’t as far.  

Now I’m very aware when I am even near the edge of that pit,  I open my toolbox and use the appropriate tool to get back on track.

And even when we are reeling from the ride, God has not abandoned us

Our hope lies in the one who is hanging on to us when we are barely hanging on.

This journey isn’t about the “what”, or the big “why”; it’s about the “Who”. God will not leave you as you leave behind the destructive thinking, the lifestyle, the bad habits that got you to this place.  He is on this journey with you.

The apostle Paul was very discouraged at times. I would say he probably even dealt with real depression. I base that on the words he wrote which I believe he wrote for himself as well. Isn’t that what writers do? Isn’t that what I’m doing?

This is probably my favorite verse in all of scripture, Philippians 3:13-14.

“……forgetting what lies ahead and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on….”

Today, that’s all you have to do. Just keep on keeping on.

God bless and have a good day.”

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