With so much of our life-rhythms thrown into chaos over the past year, many people find themselves caught in waves of anxiety and despair. Why?
Isolation, which cuts us off from connecting deeply with people closest to us, can seed feelings of anxiety and depression. It can cut out the joy from our lives and it can hobble us physically, leaving us unmotivated to even go for a walk.
I know I’ve uncharacteristically found myself in some periods of melancholy over the last twelve months, so I’m sure some of you may have as well.
I thought, perhaps, if we can all share some ways in which we fend off despair and isolation it might encourage some readers who may now be dealing with some of these feelings.
If you have some time, answer any of the following questions in the thread below. Let’s encourage one another this week, and kill despair with beauty.
How do you handle feelings of anxiety and despair?
What are some practices that have helped you overcome melancholy?
How has nature played a role in your spiritual walk with God during the age of COVID?
What words of encouragement can you give to readers who might be dealing with dark thoughts or feelings of isolation.
So many profound, scriptural and beautiful answers here! Thanks to everyone!
I'd love to answer #3.
The kindness of God as He has met me in His creation has been overwhelming this year. In fact, listening to your most recent Saturday Stoke, Tim, brought one particular evening back to mind so powerfully. We've been incredibly fortunate to have friends working in Yellowstone. Last summer we floated the Snake River at the base of the Tetons and God sent one after another of some of my favorite things - silvery afternoon sunlight filtering down through approaching storm clouds over the ridiculously perfect Teton range, a delicious south wind, Cedar Waxwings flitting above us - one of them flying directly above us our raft as if saying, "Follow me....," later a rose tinted sunset that insisted on winking at us between storm clouds, and then, the warm silver moon shimmering through the fragrant evergreens as we neared our cabin, while thunder rolled in the distance. Each moment was such a gift - so personal, so touching, so precious - He might has well have shouted to me, "I LOVE YOU!". The memory of it even now makes me giggle and tear up at the same time. That was just one day - there have been many others. He's so generous!
I have to write these things down. If I don't - life happens and memories fade. Early in the pandemic I remember noticing how God seemed to have pre-arranged many things in my family's lives to protect and provide for us. I started writing things down so I wouldn't forget, not knowing what the future might hold and how hard life could become. That mindset of watching for His hand moving in the midst of this storm is something I'll take forward with me. In spite of how awful some of it has been, and losses that must be grieved, there are God given opportunities to see Him at work, redeeming and restoring, that exist only in this season.
Thank you for sharing your heart after God, Tim, and for your beautiful tellings of holy appointments and heavenly meetings in the cathedral of His creation. Thanks for asking heart-stirring questions that help us articulate what God has done and is doing in our lives. We can't glorify Him enough.
Praying God's personal blessings on you and your family - and all of you who had the courage to share here. May He deeply encourage your hearts. Your stories will stay with me.
I've had to circle 'round back to this...it felt too close to home when it first arrived in my inbox. ;) One of the things that I try to hold onto during feelings of anxiety or despair is this thought: "This is real -- but it is not final. You can feel this without repressing it, knowing that your anxiety does not have the final say-so." I couple this with reading or singing OUT LOUD from what I know to be true of God and his word, because my I need the physical engagement of my mouth speaking and my ears hearing what *does* have the final say over my soul.
I handle my feelings by having a consistent daily time with the Lord and follow the encouragement in Psalm 62, vs 8, to pour my heart out before Him. That helps me to get his perspective. I also make it a point to reach out to one other person every day. I live alone and find it can be very easy to get caught up in myself so I pray daily for God to help me step out of my own comfort zone. I also live in a cold climate, so it's not always easy to get out every day, but I find when I do, it truly does helps me to focus. My words of encouragement would be to "turn your eyes upon Jesus" and not yourself. I often even sing that song to remind myself to do just that. I'm learning to delight in Him, turn my thoughts to Him and worship Him through it all. I really identified with your sentence, "...leaving us unmotivated to even go for a walk." I find the less I do, the less I want to do, so I would love to hear what others do to help motivate themselves. Some days it can be hard to "encourage myself in the Lord." Thank you for this. Blessings!!
Thank you for writing about this Tim and for asking us to share to encourage others and very likely ourselves in the process! Feelings of anxiety and despair are a daily occurrence for me as I am the mother of a disabled teenager who has almost outgrown me now. I handle these feelings by literally crying out to God for help daily. I use the following practices: (i) casting my cares upon God and offering Him a sacrifice or praise even though it's hard (ii) listening for the Holy Spirit to guide me to exactly which Bible verses I can pray and then replace my anxious and despairing thoughts with the Bible verses and meditate upon their truth and power to help me renew my mind (iv)take my eyes off the things I see around me and put my eyes on the unseen things which stirs up my hope for the joy set before me. I meditate on the coming of the Lord and being caught in the clouds, seeing God in heaven, and then what life will be like in the new heavens and earth where I imagine I will see my daughter healthy and all our tears and pain from disability and sin will be no more. These practices are sure to overcome my melancholy. I also regularly take walks on the beach and enjoy my morning coffee outside in the early morning light and star gaze and talk to Jesus before going to bed. Nature is a wonderful gift from God to bring forth praise and chase away despair. I would like to encourage other readers to not linger in dark thoughts or isolation. Practice noticing what your mind is thinking and take those thoughts to God in prayer. Listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit and put God's word in your mind and speak it out loud to yourself. Take your mind and your eyes off whatever is causing your to feel downcast and hope in God and praise Him for the help of His countenance. Lift up your eyes to heaven and imagine what it will be like and anticipate it and build up your excitement for it just like you would for anything you are looking forward to here on earth like an upcoming vacation or celebration. And don't linger in isolation. Reach out to a family member, friend, or brother or sister in Christ or a counsellor. And remember, these light and momentary afflictions are producing a far exceeding weight of glory. Fix your thoughts on that and ponder it and yearn for it and soon your feelings with be lifted up and you'll be praising and thanking God for His mercies and loving kindness in your life. Darkness flees the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. Jesus is with you always. Turn your eyes upon Jesus so you can't see anything else and truly the things of the world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
So many profound, scriptural and beautiful answers here! Thanks to everyone!
I'd love to answer #3.
The kindness of God as He has met me in His creation has been overwhelming this year. In fact, listening to your most recent Saturday Stoke, Tim, brought one particular evening back to mind so powerfully. We've been incredibly fortunate to have friends working in Yellowstone. Last summer we floated the Snake River at the base of the Tetons and God sent one after another of some of my favorite things - silvery afternoon sunlight filtering down through approaching storm clouds over the ridiculously perfect Teton range, a delicious south wind, Cedar Waxwings flitting above us - one of them flying directly above us our raft as if saying, "Follow me....," later a rose tinted sunset that insisted on winking at us between storm clouds, and then, the warm silver moon shimmering through the fragrant evergreens as we neared our cabin, while thunder rolled in the distance. Each moment was such a gift - so personal, so touching, so precious - He might has well have shouted to me, "I LOVE YOU!". The memory of it even now makes me giggle and tear up at the same time. That was just one day - there have been many others. He's so generous!
I have to write these things down. If I don't - life happens and memories fade. Early in the pandemic I remember noticing how God seemed to have pre-arranged many things in my family's lives to protect and provide for us. I started writing things down so I wouldn't forget, not knowing what the future might hold and how hard life could become. That mindset of watching for His hand moving in the midst of this storm is something I'll take forward with me. In spite of how awful some of it has been, and losses that must be grieved, there are God given opportunities to see Him at work, redeeming and restoring, that exist only in this season.
Thank you for sharing your heart after God, Tim, and for your beautiful tellings of holy appointments and heavenly meetings in the cathedral of His creation. Thanks for asking heart-stirring questions that help us articulate what God has done and is doing in our lives. We can't glorify Him enough.
Praying God's personal blessings on you and your family - and all of you who had the courage to share here. May He deeply encourage your hearts. Your stories will stay with me.
I've had to circle 'round back to this...it felt too close to home when it first arrived in my inbox. ;) One of the things that I try to hold onto during feelings of anxiety or despair is this thought: "This is real -- but it is not final. You can feel this without repressing it, knowing that your anxiety does not have the final say-so." I couple this with reading or singing OUT LOUD from what I know to be true of God and his word, because my I need the physical engagement of my mouth speaking and my ears hearing what *does* have the final say over my soul.
I handle my feelings by having a consistent daily time with the Lord and follow the encouragement in Psalm 62, vs 8, to pour my heart out before Him. That helps me to get his perspective. I also make it a point to reach out to one other person every day. I live alone and find it can be very easy to get caught up in myself so I pray daily for God to help me step out of my own comfort zone. I also live in a cold climate, so it's not always easy to get out every day, but I find when I do, it truly does helps me to focus. My words of encouragement would be to "turn your eyes upon Jesus" and not yourself. I often even sing that song to remind myself to do just that. I'm learning to delight in Him, turn my thoughts to Him and worship Him through it all. I really identified with your sentence, "...leaving us unmotivated to even go for a walk." I find the less I do, the less I want to do, so I would love to hear what others do to help motivate themselves. Some days it can be hard to "encourage myself in the Lord." Thank you for this. Blessings!!
Thank you for writing about this Tim and for asking us to share to encourage others and very likely ourselves in the process! Feelings of anxiety and despair are a daily occurrence for me as I am the mother of a disabled teenager who has almost outgrown me now. I handle these feelings by literally crying out to God for help daily. I use the following practices: (i) casting my cares upon God and offering Him a sacrifice or praise even though it's hard (ii) listening for the Holy Spirit to guide me to exactly which Bible verses I can pray and then replace my anxious and despairing thoughts with the Bible verses and meditate upon their truth and power to help me renew my mind (iv)take my eyes off the things I see around me and put my eyes on the unseen things which stirs up my hope for the joy set before me. I meditate on the coming of the Lord and being caught in the clouds, seeing God in heaven, and then what life will be like in the new heavens and earth where I imagine I will see my daughter healthy and all our tears and pain from disability and sin will be no more. These practices are sure to overcome my melancholy. I also regularly take walks on the beach and enjoy my morning coffee outside in the early morning light and star gaze and talk to Jesus before going to bed. Nature is a wonderful gift from God to bring forth praise and chase away despair. I would like to encourage other readers to not linger in dark thoughts or isolation. Practice noticing what your mind is thinking and take those thoughts to God in prayer. Listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit and put God's word in your mind and speak it out loud to yourself. Take your mind and your eyes off whatever is causing your to feel downcast and hope in God and praise Him for the help of His countenance. Lift up your eyes to heaven and imagine what it will be like and anticipate it and build up your excitement for it just like you would for anything you are looking forward to here on earth like an upcoming vacation or celebration. And don't linger in isolation. Reach out to a family member, friend, or brother or sister in Christ or a counsellor. And remember, these light and momentary afflictions are producing a far exceeding weight of glory. Fix your thoughts on that and ponder it and yearn for it and soon your feelings with be lifted up and you'll be praising and thanking God for His mercies and loving kindness in your life. Darkness flees the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. Jesus is with you always. Turn your eyes upon Jesus so you can't see anything else and truly the things of the world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
I’ve found sitting around a fire pit in the woods behind my house with my neighbors and a spiritous liquor does the soul some good.