Tag: encouragement

God’s Got Me

“It’s going to be okay. God’s got me. He’s got it all under control.”

This is the phrase I repeat to myself when I feel overwhelmed and like I want to give up. It doesn’t make my problems go away, but it helps me to get through them. And I realized today that God has been very good to me in keeping this promise.

This morning I had an ECT (ElectroConvulsive Therapy) treatment after three weeks without one. I normally go every two weeks – which doesn’t seem like a big difference, but it is with ECT. After the treatment I had three weeks ago, I felt very depressed and tired. It really made getting through each day difficult. So I was worried about my treatment today, that it would make me feel horrible again. But it didn’t.

As my Mom drove me home from the hospital this morning, she remarked that I seem a lot better after this treatment. And I do feel better. After the anesthesia wore off, I was able to wash some dishes, put away groceries, and take a shower. Normally I would just sleep all afternoon, so this is good for me! And my mood is better – I feel somewhat upbeat. This is truly a blessing, and I pray that it lasts!

All this to say: God’s got me. God’s got you. He’s not going to let us down (He never has and He never will!) Life is hard, but our Father is bigger and stronger than anything we will ever face. He showed me that today, and all I can say is that I’m grateful.

Thank You, Jesus, for always being there for us, and for walking with us through our darkest hours. And thank you for the times when the sun shines through the clouds. You are truly good!

God Sees Me

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

I came across the above verse as I was reading an eBook tonight, and it hit me:

GOD SEES ME.

He truly sees me, for who I am and for what’s in my heart, and not for the superficial things that many people look at.

He sees the hurt that I hold inside. He sees the anxiety that rears up when I think about certain things. He sees when I feel so low that it takes great effort to complete small tasks. He sees all of this – and more.

But in light of this fact, what does He see in my heart? How clean are my thoughts? How does He feel about the motives that I possess?

Since these are the things that God is looking at, I can only imagine that it must be important for me to keep my character pleasing to Him.

I pray that I can make God smile with who I am on the inside.

Thank You, Father, for seeing through the facade that I often-times project. Thank you for not being swayed by the things that are important to man, such as what type of job I have, how much money I make, how big my house is, or how many friends I have. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And YOU SEE ME completely…from the inside out.

Out of the Pit

The last several months have been overwhelming.

I’ve been struggling a lot with depression, and I got to the point where I knew the medicines and therapy were not doing enough to help, and that I needed to try something different.

So I decided to embark on a new journey: ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy). It’s been scary, and encouraging, and frustrating, and confusing, and promising…all at the same time.

I’ve been undergoing the ECT procedure twice a week for around twelve weeks now. Unfortunately, it has affected my memory. But it does seem to have given me that extra “boost” I needed to climb out of the dark pit of depression; and for this I am grateful.

If you are struggling with depression, you are not alone. Take comfort in the fact that there are others who are walking this road with you – most importantly, Jesus Christ. He understands what we are going through, and He is right there with us to give us the strength and encouragement to take the next small step along the path that He has for us.

Photo by: James McGill