Depression - we are not alone

For the last couple of weeks, I have seen little fruit flies flying around my house.

At first it was just a couple and I don't like to kill things so, I figured I would do my best to shew them outside or deal with them until they died (they typically only live about 30 days or so).. The number started to increase little by little until I was so frustrated that I had to start trying to kill some of them. I started swatting at them, killing them here and there. I thought that the problem was starting to go away. Monday morning when I went into my kitchen, they were literally everywhere! I have had some pans on my counter that I was ready to put away but I have to climb to reach the place where they go. Having very little time to take care of these types of things lately, they had been sitting there for a couple of weeks.

I read online about the fruit flies and why they decide to take over any one area. It is typically due to the fact that a piece of fruit or something fermenting has been left out.  I started to scour the kitchen area for anything that it might be.  Then I saw it hidden behind the pans on the counter, the mason jar that had salsa in it that I wanted to clean and use the canning jar that it was in. The lid was slightly off of the jar. I had put it there to take out to the dumpster and dump into a plastic bag because I did not want to dump it into my drain. There were what seemed like thousands of these things swarming this jar.

I bagged the jar up into the trash and put all of my fruit in the fridge. I have not been keeping trash in my garbage at all but sealing it in a plastic old spinach bin that I am going to keep emptying into our dumpster. I would like to say that they are all gone now but it is taking some time for them to dwindle.

I started thinking this morning, it was easy enough to find the source of what was causing all of the fruit flies. A festering time bomb on my kitchen counter that while put there with good intention, was the self imposed cause of my fruit fly infestation. The bugs flying all around, pestering me  and stealing my peace.

What if I had tried to find the source and I could not find it? What if the kitchen was dark and I had no way of turning the light on to see where it was? It would remain there and continue to get worse until the whole house was full of it. After a while, I imagine it would wear me down and give me little hope that the problem would be solved.

I have suffered depression in the past and I know that it feels a lot like the scenario that I have spoken of above. You know something is there that is not right but you feel as if you cannot figure out where or what it is. Instead of getting better, it continues to get worse because the source has not been exposed. Without light, it would be difficult if not impossible to figure out the cause of most problems in our material world. The same is true with the Spiritual. We need light to expose the hidden source of our pain. Sometimes we may need someone else to be this source of light for us. Sometimes if we take enough quiet time with our Lord and stay in Word, we are able to figure things out and continue walking our paths. Whatever it is, it is imperative that we do something. Leaving things be as if they are not, will only cause further harm. Once we find the source, we need to be patient. It most likely took some time for the problem to manifest on the level that it has. It will get better, it just needs time. This too shall pass.

The death of Robin Williams has had a significant impact on our society as far as being aware that depression is real and can be as deadly as having cancer. He spent his life making us laugh, while crying on the inside.. How many others in our lives could be doing the same thing? We don't think about the people that are smiling all of the time because we are blinded by outer appearance and fooled into thinking that person has it all together and may even be tempted to think, why can't I be more like them?

I encourage you to slow down and take the time to look at the people around you. Is there someone who is rarely serious, always seems to be laughing and in good Spirits? It could be that they are so in tuned with God that they are able to be this way out of His Good Spirit but maybe take the time to try to know that for sure. Talk to them on a more serious level, ask they how they are doing and pay attention not only to their response but their actions. Watch them when they do not know you are watching. Pay attention to the things that they do, to what they say when they do not know you are listening. People show us who they are by their actions when unaware they are being watched.

If you are struggling with depression, please talk to someone. If you do not have  person that you feel you can talk to, go to a non-denominational church or if you have a church already, seek the pastor. That is what they are there for and they are called to keep your confidence. You are not different or strange or weird. Most people have suffered from depression at some point and would be able to maybe help you find your light to expose the root of your depression. Often times, God will place people around you that are walking the same path. They can help you. Please give them a chance to help you.

May God continually help our society learn that keeping things to yourself when you are hurting is not the route to go, AMEN.