Let's Talk Depression

Do you ever wonder what our relationships might be like if we really took the time to care? Do we really have any idea what the average person is going through on any given day? Think about the person you pass in the grocery store aisle. Or the person sitting next to you at the corner red light. What about the person you work with? The person you live with? I think too often we are content to take someone's "I'm fine" reply and move on, not giving a second thought to the fact that maybe they really didn't mean it. Maybe they are really dying a slow death inside and don't want to bother you with the messy details.

Maybe they know you really don't want to be bothered with those messy details.
Depression is not pretty. Mental illness is unsettling. Life is pretty darn twisted at times.

But what are we if not our brother's helper?

Look, I by no means have it figured out. The only psychology I ever studied was the little required to complete a bachelor's degree in history and I promise you, it wasn't that much. I've never been into health care or mental care or any other kind of care for that matter, but I like to think that I do care. And I can tell you this- (brace yourself)- sometimes a Jesus pep talk is not the quick fix that we would like it to be.

I've witnessed the dark side of depression. Not the side where you cry uncontrollably or sit quietly and watch a marathon of Lifetime movies, but the side where for all intents and purposes, you are functioning on a reasonably intelligent level on the outside while methodically planning your demise on the inside. That's the scary side. Those are the people you might come in contact with on a daily basis and never even know it.

That's why we need to listen.

Seriously, people. Don't discard someone else's troubles. Don't just pat 'em on the back and tell 'em you'll pray for them. Yes, those actions are important, but that can't be where we stop. And it goes both ways... I firmly believe that when we try to pretend that we've got it all together and Jesus has never left us wondering, well... I mean, really. Who are we fooling?

Sometimes when I write what I write, my mom will shoot me a quick email:

What was that all about? Are you all right?

For that reason, I do my best to temper my topics and word choices. I love my mom too much to worry her, but I also love those people in my life too much to just write about flowers and sunshine. Life can be rough. Period. People hurt people and some people hurt those people badly. Let's try to be a little more sensitive to the souls the Lord has put in our life. They just might be there for a reason.

Let's not miss it.