I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in Him.
– Psalm 40:1-3
I really like this verse. It is like the footsteps on the beach parable, but the mud and mire seem so much better for describing the feeling of being trapped in a quagmire, unable to move from the darkness of depression.
I also like this quote because it rings so true for me. Matthew 18:20 tells us that wherever two or more of his followers are gathered, God is also present with them. And indeed, that was true for me. While the verse from Matthew is often used to remind followers that they don’t need to be in the four walls of a church to have God between them, a church is where God’s followers helped me rediscover Him.
I’ve said before how I rediscovered faith when I went to church one day to say a prayer for someone, and instead heard a sermon on forgiveness and healing, one I didn’t know I needed to hear. And that helped guide me back to faith. And in faith, I found a feeling of acceptance that was lacking in other areas of life. The slimy pit mentioned in Psalm 40 was my own isolation, a prison of darkness in my mind fueled by feeling disconnected from others. He found me and lifted me out.
There are still plenty of hard days. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix, no cure, for depression and anxiety. There are ways to manage it and faith is a big one for me, which is one of the reasons for this whole series. Faith for me is the rock, the firm place to stand. Faith in knowing that despite there being trouble and hardship in this world, Jesus has overcome this world, and offers an eternity of peace through His teachings.
Again, I say all of this not to push my faith on you. Faith is deeply personal, and I would never do that. Instead, this series is meant to tell you some of the ways that faith has helped me. And one of those ways, is giving me a firm place to stand. And for that, I am so thankful.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Be well.
The Dark Tales Project 