Several weeks ago, Pastor McFarlane preached a powerful sermon entitled, “A Good Wait.” He encouraged us to tell our stories to help one another as we grow in faith. As I listened to him speak, I knew I had to write the story I don’t like to talk about very much: my struggle with depression.
In Deuteronomy Chapter 6, after the familiar “Hear O Israel” portion, it cautions us to recount to our children where we came from. “We were Pharaoh’s slaves but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…” To put this passage in the vernacular, “Don’t forget where you came from or how far the Lord has brought you!”
Why does this passage mean so much to me? Simply put, I was a slave to depression for much of my teen and young adult years. Oh, I had friends, was active in my Methodist Youth Fellowship, did fairly well in school and I had a loving family. Still, since I have cerebral palsy, my social life during my teen years was rather limited. While other girls had dates on Saturday night, I was home with my parents, reading or watching TV, and wondering what was wrong with me!
To their credit, my folks got me a good counselor, who happened to be a Seventh-day Adventist!! (Someday I’ll tell you about the fact that all of my life—long before I ever came to Sligo—there’s been an SDA!) This counselor saved my life! He listened, asked questions, comforted, and teased! He also went to bat for me, explaining to my reluctant parents that I needed to go away to college. Depression and its twin brother, loneliness, followed me to college. Many times, I told my counselor I was dropping out! He just smiled, asked about assignments, was I eating, etc. Before I knew it, I earned a degree!
I won’t take the time to recount all of my story here. Gradually, after I went to work, my depression slowly began to lift. Soon after I began working on Capitol Hill, I was also frequenting the Sligo balcony, curious about the church. Something else happened that was life changing: I learned to drive! No longer did I sit at home alone; now I was outdoing things.
Sligo friends, you know the rest! Ed and I just celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. We’re retired and live active ‘typical’ lives. How’s my depression? I can honestly say I cannot even remember the last time I even felt blue.
One last thing: if you struggle with depression and loneliness, you are not alone. Call someone, find a Christian counselor, or email me! One of the byproducts of this pandemic is the terrible isolation we’re all feeling. Know this: depression is real, but with the proper help, it can be overcome!
My email: kathyroyjohnson@verizon.net