Mully Grubs
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
Save me God, for the water has risen to my neck. I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing; I have come into deep water, and a flood sweeps over me.
– Psalm 69:1-2 (CSB)
I struggle at times with depression. There! I said it. The thing we try to hide. For years my husband would say, “Oh, you’ve got the mully grubs,” somehow making it sound cute and not to be taken seriously. Mental illness is something we, as a society, just try to hide and pretend we’re fine. We don’t share our sadness for fear everyone else will see us as weak, or not appreciative of all the blessings we have. It’s not shameful. It’s not our fault.
Emotional illness has many causes: genetics, environment, brain structure, and even inflammation. There are a few people I love that deal with Bi-Polar disorder. Medications can help, and a support system is a very important medicine as well. But don’t forget your Daddy in Heaven.
Psalm 55:22 says, Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken. And when you don’t know the words to pray, call on the name of Jesus, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groaning.
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26, CSB)
Mental illness is all around us. It could be closer than you ever imagined. Try to be kind to everyone. You never know when the grumpy teen making your coffee was unable to sleep because he’s homeless, or the smiling but distracted bank teller is fighting with her husband, her aging mother, and her teen-age daughter. Let’s be accepting of each other as Jesus accepts us.
The best feeling in the world is encountering people that seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders, giving them a smile, and finding a way to leave them smiling back. It could be your turn to be under the dark cloud next time.
Questions for Reflection:
1. When you are under a dark cloud, how do you want to be treated?
2. Do you feel guilty for letting someone else know how you feel?
3. Is there a trusted friend in your life you can talk to about your anxiety or depression?
4. Talking to your doctor and/or pastor is a great place to start.
5. Make sure you are not alone under your dark cloud. There is help. Even if it’s hard—reach out.
6. Try to stay sensitive to others that may be dealing with anxiety and/or depression. Throw them a life preserver, not another anchor.
