THE ALIEN WITHIN: DEPRESSION

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:1-10

Let me word it this way - blessed are they who are well adjusted…unburdened by excessive negativity…able to focus on sunshine rather than shadows…brightness rather than darkness…beauty rather than ugliness… love rather than hate…patience rather than anger.

Fall heir to the thought that negativity does not just steal time, it warps it. There is such wisdom in this insight.

Of course, no one is always happy, but some are a great deal more unhappy, and unhappier for longer periods of time, than they have to be. Be not one of them.
Now I am not going to tell you that in the next few words I will solve all your problems for you. Nor can I guarantee to give you a permanent happy face. But I will offer some ideas, that if you practice even just one of them, you will be the better off for it and so will everyone who lives with and around you.

What first would I have you consider? Pull out one or more of your baby pictures. Look at that innocent, wide-eyed face, the you in your beginning who was so excited about everything you saw and were experiencing. And then really consider, “Has the world become less interesting or have I become less interested?”

Then begin to pray often each passing day, “Lord, give me back the eyes of a child. Send me in search of that which will save me from being a cynic. Don’t let me take all the fun out of a magic show, or go to a circus and find I can no longer laugh when all those little people keep pouring out of that little car. Let me still be enthralled when the lion tamer puts his head in the lion’s mouth.”

Or filled with wonderment by the moon that continues steadily to move across the sky. Let me do something foolish like putting my ear to the ground as if I could hear the grass grow or make up a new language and then use it to ask directions. Read the dictionary upside down and then look for hidden meanings.

Continue to pray, “Give me back who I was before I left Middle School and picked up being blasé in High School. Let me feel free to sing in the shower, even if the shower is from heaven and I am walking down the street. Let me find joy that once I found from just wiggling my toes in the mud. Let me…”

There is so much happening in this old world to grab your attention: art and music, baseball, the upcoming Dolphin and Miami Hurricane football games (or the football teams of where you live or soccer or…). And have you been watching…?

Oh, the list of all the things God offers us to get excited about is endless. So get creative. Pick and choose and make up your own list.
These kind of thing aren’t a solution. There is a profundity in their simplicity and yes there is some silliness too. But too much somberness can overload bad hair days as well.

Yes, much of these thoughts are really only a band-aide, but band-aides have their place too in the healing of wounds. Well, actually some of the suggestions you may well do and probably some you will not do at all but perhaps you got a laugh at just the suggestions, and laughter is a healer.

Have a friend visit my ONE A DAY YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS site. Have them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

And, yes, if this site has met any of your needs share it with a friend. Just have them go to “Google Search” and type in “Wyrick’s Writings”