Many people suffer with bouts of depression. This ranges from sadness to times of debilitation in regular living. Sandwiched between is a mix of mental health concerns that impact individuals as well as those people that exist within their immediate and sometimes extended circle of family and friends. I just read an article that was written in the Ohio State University Lantern back in 2012 that talks about seasonal depression.[1] That is not the official name, but I tend to steer away from labels. This form of sadness is said to occur during the change of seasons. According to the Mayo Clinic it typically begins in the fall and continues into the winter months.
In my neck of the woods, we are beginning the trek into that time of year as I am writing this blog. That means as a reader you may know exactly what I am talking about based on personal experience. My heart understands. I have suffered in some form with depression over parts of my life. This blog post is not the cure for your pain, but it may offer you another path.
All of us have our stuff. That makes us human. I like to say that makes us breathing, feeling, soft to the touch created beings. During my Covid television time (I’m not a regular t.v. goer), I watched a documentary on the impact of reintroducing wolves in the western United States. The change was incredible! Regeneration began to reoccur. Different species of plants and animals returned after some seventy years of limited prosperity in the area. Perhaps the most amazing piece of change that took place, was that which happened to the rivers. The shift in animal life, began this chain reaction that ultimately stabilized the banks, revitalizing them.[2] We are no different than any other portion of creation. We can feel the impact brought about by changes in the earth. Our designed body includes the earth’s elements. We are a biproduct of the soil (Gen. 2.7).
What does all of this have to do with living a peace-filled life? It is the idea that when we live into who we are meant to be we learn how to live a refreshed, renewed, and restored life. Does that take away depression, in some cases, yes, in others, no. Just as the rivers experienced, in time, we feel a sense of regeneration. We can learn through spiritual guidance how to live as we were intended by our creator and like the wolves, effect change. When this occurs, the results are peace-filled.
Spiritual mentoring or guidance is often the help we need to forge ahead. We are not necessarily stuck in a rut, but we are experiencing a discontinuity with the world. That can come from many outside forces. It also exists within our thoughts. We have an uncanny ability to self-talk. If what you are saying is false, then you are personally shifting your natural “habitat.” Again, like the wilderness of Yosemite, you probably do not even know this transition is molding your life. When it is reintroduced, or you begin to live into the way God created you through recognition and reshaping of false beliefs you flourish. This is small at first but grows in such a way that it restores the erosion, it refreshes your spirit, it renews your life.
[1] Jaime Ortega-Simo. “Winter Blues Contribute to Ohio’s High Depression Levels.” The Lantern, (February 1, 2012): The Lantern 1 February 2012 — Ohio State University Newspaper Archives (osu.edu).
[2] https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wildlife/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem/
Monica Swank 