As I was writing my blog post for this week sharing some tips for living with chronic illness, I came to this topic. After last week’s post where I confessed my struggle with depression, I felt this topic needed to be a post of its own. Here’s why. We can plan all we like, we can buy things to help us save time and energy, we can have wonderful friends and family who help, but if we don’t have a way to get our attitude up when we are down, we don’t have anything at all.
So, after realizing that I was unwittingly participating in Hormonal Crying Waves and Deficiency Directed Depression, I discovered a spiritual deficiency I didn’t even realize I had. Not that I wasn’t reading my Bible, going to church and fellowshipping with some pretty amazing women of God, but I discovered something I enjoyed, something that energized me and something I didn’t even know I was missing.
It just so happened that I had scheduled a time for a dear friend to come over for lunch. She called to say she’d be a bit late because she had to switch cars with her sweet hubby and I found myself sitting in front of the computer singing along to my YouTube list of Praise and Worship songs. After a bad night of insomnia, I was afraid I’d be too tired to make conversation and enjoy her delightful company, but I discovered that singing praises to God energized me. As I sang, I realized that I hadn’t done this for quite a long time. My computer was zapped by lightning a while back and it took us a while to determine that repairing it wasn’t an option. After replacing it, we still hadn’t gotten around to downloading the hard drive with all my info on it so I had been slowly setting things up.
You have to understand that this HTML Illiterate and Techie Challenged Soul also has Brain Fog so, not only do I not remember my passwords, but I don’t always write them down on my cheat sheet when I change them. So…it was slow going as I programmed in each of my websites until I got to my YouTube channel.
I love to sing! I often sing along to songs on the radio, but since I moved to Indiana, I hadn’t found a good Christian station so we were listening to secular music. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. It wasn’t anything that went against our beliefs; it just wasn’t what energized me. It wasn’t something that made me realize how much I had to be thankful for…to God. Or how much God loved me.
It was in that few minutes before my friend got to my house that I realized how much I had missed singing and praising God and how much that had given to my spirit. I didn’t realize how much I need to praise Him or how it affected my mood. I read the Bible every morning, subscribe to online devotionals, watch funny shows and movies and try to get together with dear friends. All of that does seem to lift me up, but nothing as much as singing praises to the Lord! That just fills me up.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying singing to God (or any of the other things I listed) will cure depression (and clinical depression is a whole different issue altogether) or that it is the answer to lift everyone’s spirits, I’m just saying it did for me. In a BIG way!
What I am saying is that we all need to take time for ourselves to do something that releases, rejuvenates and refreshes us. I think this is especially important for those of us struggling with chronic issues–whether it be illness or otherwise. When we are sad or struggling with depression, we often don’t think to do the things that used to uplift us. Or maybe sometimes we don’t want to. Sometimes doing them makes you more sad. But sometimes, if you remember to do the things that used to uplift you, you may find they still do.
The next time I’m feeling down, I’m going to look at how long it’s been since I sang along to my favorite praise and worship music. I’ll probably find I haven’t done it in a while. Here is just one of my favorite songs. Not much of a visual, but I love the song: The Rose of Bethlehem by Selah.
What is it for you? Here are some other things that lift my spirits. Maybe they will help you find yours.
* Visit with friends
* Watching funny movies or using humor when you communicate with others, joking around, being silly
* Being creative: art, drawing, writing, journaling
* Reading: the Bible, a good story, uplifting biography
All of these things help me lift my spirits and change my mood, but nothing as much as singing to the Lord. Please share your tips for picking us up when we are down. Let’s all learn from one another so we can uplift ourselves and share that with others who are struggling.
This is true for me. I am Bipolar Manic Schizophrenic. I graduated from Bible College for my healing. I also am a certified Chaplain (C.P.E.) with a helps ministry.
Before I found my second wife I started writing songs and I wrote many. As it turned out she was an Evangelist and had a Praise and Worship Ministry and wrote many songs committed to CD’s. We traveled all over the country putting on Praise and Worship festivals. I have a $300 collection of Praise and Worship songs. Over a 3 year period I wrote 12 books which are a collection of SHORTS many of which are on my blog to copy/paste.
I don’t like to watch the news any more and instead enjoy watching the TBN ministry. The world has gone insane and there is too much killing.
I have a public ministry like Jesus Christ and love talking to strangers. I have been in ministry it seems all my life even in mental hospitals as a patient. Most ministers don’t visit the mentally ill but I enjoy them and can relate to them and the staff.
God bless you and your work, sir! Thank you for sharing that with my readers. I believe that, quite often, our struggles are the basis for our ministry.
As a sufferer of fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis and co-pastor a church with my husband, I find myself overwhelmed and depressed and discouraged many times. I simply need to remember who is in control, God is with me, turn on my worship music and sing like nobody’s listening. I get into the word of God and just be still before Him. Now ths doesn’t take one hour or one day to do. It takes time. I need to turn off the outside interference to focus on what is truly bugging me and allowing God to help me get through it. I love my calling from Him, and to serve Him. I don’t love the fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis but I press on as much as I can in His strength! Glory to God!
Thanks for sharing, Evie! I have fibro and osteoarthritis as well. Very frustrating at times, but as you say, glory to God for all we do have.
I think that’s true.
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[…] 35 Years with Chronic Illness 2. I Have a Confession to Make…My Battle with Depression 3. Discovery: Spiritual Deficiency 4. It’s Not Vanity; It’s Part of Chronic […]
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