Four years ago, I wrote and self-published a book titled, “Climbing out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness.” Today, if I could redo the name I believe I would. I got the first part right, “Climbing out of Darkness” but the rest of it? I’m not so sure.
“into Mental Wellness” makes it seem that a person with a mental health challenge has somehow “arrived” into great mental health, like it is a destination. There is “some” truth to this. In 2002, I was out of work for nearly a year, diagnosed with ADD and major depressive disorder, prescribed Wellbutrin and then … the cherry on the cake, employment with a Christian publishing and training company that lasted FOURTEEN YEARS. My previous “longest” job tenure was a scant FOUR years. Thanks to God, doctors, and effective medical treatment, I was no longer in darkness!
Times were mostly good and I felt like I had “arrived.” Four years later, I went through a brief depressive episode that took me by surprise while we were on vacation. I figured this was just a blip on the radar, but in 2017, FIFTEEN YEARS after my initial breakthrough, I felt like I had hit rock bottom again when I experienced what my book collaborator thought was likely “prolonged grief disorder” when we lost our beloved Maltese, Baxter. (I later learned that I was far from alone. Samantha Karraa wrote that, “The person I had not seen in 17 years had shown up.”1
1 “Karraa, Samantha. Forty Days of Fresh Hope: A Fresh Hope Wellness Devotional (Fresh Hope Press, 2021), 83.”
My rough patch lasted many months, but it was also during this time that God led me to a Fresh Hope support group. One of the greatest blessings in my group is that we “get each other.” We understand the pitfalls of a diagnosis because we’ve all experienced them firsthand. This “invisible” factor we share is part of what makes Fresh Hope special, especially Tenet III, in which “I choose the support of other people who will urge me to ‘push through.’”
But that’s not all we need to do to improve our mental health. Tenet V states that we must also “choose to explore new ways of thinking and acting in (my) relationships and daily living.”
I am striving to do that. For starters, I read and re-read verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Proverbs 3: 5-6 numerous times each week. Another favorite reads, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do” (Proverbs 4:23).
This verse ties in with neuroscience researcher Dr. Caroline Leaf’s statement that the average person has more than 30,000 thoughts a day! It’s no wonder that Pastor Brad says we need to watch our ‘stinkin’ thinkin’ or toxic thoughts.
Another new way in “thinking and acting” has involved putting Proverbs 4:23 into action much more than I have in the past. Sorry to admit but for too long I did not recognize the importance of our thought life and putting on the armor of God, as it says in Ephesians 6:13-18.
“Garbage in, garbage out” as the saying goes. In a fast-paced day and age in which we are continually bombarded by media, social media, and the seemingly endless scrolling on our phones, this is much easier said than done. But it’s not impossible! I don’ t own a smart phone, but I still spend more time scrolling on the internet than I should. It’s the wasted time, not the specific device you use, that poses problems!
Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
Fortunately, I am finding there is more than “junk” on various online platforms, YouTube among them. Examples include scripture-like statements such as “Lord, I cannot carry this if you do not go with me,” and “Without you, I do not have what my life truly needs.” That’s for starters. I have watched videos about the amazingly consistent devotion of saints, and I’ve learned valuable lessons like Why Getting Older is God’s Greatest Blessing: Biblical Wisdom. (I am 67 years old.)
The point is, turn the tables on the online scrolling you likely do anyway, and use the search function to track down Biblically-based spiritual videos (or movies) instead of “garbage.” I especially like to do this when I’m relaxing in the evening, but one could do this anytime.
All this isn’t to say that I “have it together.” Hardly! Sometimes I “beat myself up,” and ruminate when I choose “garbage” over more spiritually beneficial pursuits. Or God may humble me when pride gets in the way and I hink I’m doing these things “on my own” rather than recognizing I’m being spiritually led.
The moral of the story is, there is no greater peace than the peace that comes when you choose to draw closer to God, and further away from the world. It’s worth the time and effort.
I have presented just a few ideas. You may have better ones. As blogger Tanner Olson states, “I am inviting God to remove the things that are keeping me away from Him.”
And that title I mentioned? Maybe a better one might be something like “Climbing out of Darkness: My Ongoing Journey of Faith, Hope, and Optimism.”
Mike Jacquart belongs to a Fresh Hope support group in Wisconsin. A retired magazine editor, Mike enjoys sharing his story of “pushing through” on his book, blog posts, podcasts, and other presentations. For more information, contact him at michaeljacquart56@gmail.com.
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