I’ve said before that I think a lot about the story of the man walking along the beach with God, only to look back and see one set of footsteps. When he asks, the man is told by God, “that is when I carried you.” Indeed, it is a powerful reminder that we walk with God the Father, and we walk with God the son, even if we don’t realize it, even if we don’t recognize it.
We know there were times when Jesus appeared to the disciples and they didn’t recognize him. At the end of the Book of Luke, we are told that two of the disciples are walking away from Jerusalem when Jesus appears and travels with them, but they are prevented from seeing who he was until they broke bread with him. We know too of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene and her thinking he was the gardener, or Jesus appearing to the disciples when they were fishing but not catching anything until Jesus told them where to fish.
For me, there have been many moments like these. No, Jesus hasn’t appeared to me. Yet I have felt his presence. Sometimes when the demons have me in my darkest moments, I have felt Him walking with me. I didn’t recognize Him at the time. It was only in retrospect that I look back and see the blessings He had when the demons had me afraid that all would be lost.
And for me this is the second greatest gift Jesus gives to us. Beyond dying for our sins, He gives hope. Hope that we don’t have to face our demons alone. There are still days that I struggle. Days that my demons trip me up. And on those days, I have the support of people that God put in my life and I have the knowledge that I am not walking alone in the darkness.
And that is a pretty powerful antidepressant if I do say so myself.
The Dark Tales Project 