What happens when you’ve already prayed and have done everything in your power to make it right? When you’ve ran out of words to say to God? In my blog today I want to share about how Gratitude helped my depression.

Every night Chris and I take turns praying and a few months ago it happened to be my turn. Chris looked over and said “Go”. Which means- it’s your turn. I remember just turning to him with huge puffy eyes and saying- “I honestly have nothing else to say. I’ve already prayed, God already knows. I don’t know what to tell Him”. I guess you can kind of say that I was feeling upset at God for having me in the strangest/hardest seasons of my life.  I really felt that I had done all the “right” things and that God should have answered by now.

For some weird reason people are afraid of the word depression or anxiety. However, these two words are very real in my life and I’ve learned to deal with it throughout my life. I’ve learned of ways to cope and recently I tried a new one.

So, I told Chris that instead of “praying” (which sometimes feels like it’s just a time to ask- ask for things, for forgiveness, for protection, etc) I decided to just THANK Him. I just had this moment of like, you know what I don’t want to be that person that gets bitter just because things are not going my way. If God doesn’t want to answer then He doesn’t have to! He’s GOD.

So we laid there in the dark and starting listing out all the things we were grateful for.

Food- the fact that we get to choose what we eat and when we want to eat it.

Our Home­-though small, we are grateful we have a place to be us and make memories of our own

Each Other-we love that we have a great relationship and that we constantly getting to know each other deeper

Health- We recently lost a friend to cancer at only 27 years old, so we are grateful that we are healthy and feeling strong

Family­-We have a very loving family on both sides and we couldn’t’ ask for more

 

I could keep going but these are the main things that we both were grateful for.

To be honest, we continued this way all week. Sometimes God has us in a waiting period, sometimes in a time of loss, sometimes in a time of lack, or of hold. I kind of like to picture it as a YELLOW LIGHT. It’s not that God is saying no or stop or even go, its like the in between, like He’s saying proceed slowly. Hope that makes sense. Sometimes you may have the blues and not even know why but no matter what we have to keep going.

 

Here are some things that can help with Depression and/or Anxiety

 

·         Have some quiet time and read the Bible

·         Play some worship/positive music- one of the albums that really encouraged me was by For King and Country-Burn the Ships

·         Workout/Go for a walk

·         Have a routine or schedule your day in blocks

·         Have a girls/guys night

·         Do what you love

·         Talk about it

·         Find a healthy outlet 😊

·         DISCONNECT FROM SOCIAL MEDIA 

I just wanted to take the time to encourage someone out there who might feel like they are going through a tough time, a bitter time, or a confusing time. It’s always good to pause and just be thankful for what you currently have.

 

Go ahead and try it!

 

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2     Worship the Lord with gladness;

    come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the Lord is God.

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

    and his courts with praise;

    give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

    his faithfulness continues through all generations.