Old Patterns Become New

Old Patterns Become New

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13

One cold February day, Ernie sat on the exam table and stared at the tile floor. Though he didn’t seem to have any specific symptoms, his shoulders slumped.

“I just don’t feel well. Every day, my job is the same monotonous grind. It pays all right, but it’s not very exciting. I’ve got a great family, but I feel like we’re stuck in a rut.”

Ernie’s circumstances weren’t much different from those of countless others who put in an honest day’s work and punched out at quitting time. But I heard something different in his voice, and it worried me.

“I don’t know; I just feel like nothing is going to change or get better until I die. Some days, I think maybe everything would be better if I died.”

I asked Ernie a few more questions and found out that he had not been sleeping well for months, and he didn’t have much of an appetite. Here was a man who had lost his direction.

“Ernie, I think you’re suffering from depression. But I can help.”

We did the necessary medical work, and I helped him identify some positive things in his life that he could use as stepping-stones to a renewed life.

Over the next several months, Ernie quit drinking and began exercising, taking long walks in the neighborhood with his wife. He started attending church with his family regularly and began to foster his relationship with God.

The next time I saw Ernie in my office, he was not the same man I’d seen during the winter. Instead of looking down at all his circumstances, he was now looking up to God in worship. The changes hadn’t happened overnight, but they took root and transformed his life.

In our darkest days, we search for the light. When we come to the end of ourselves, we become open to seeing the hand of God who faithfully walks alongside us even when we are unaware.

TODAY’S RX

If you’re depressed, talk to a doctor or someone you can trust. Then change the old patterns in your life, and open your heart to God and his healing touch.

God, when I feel overwhelmed and life seems to be spinning out of control, pull me close to you. Help me to recognize how you have blessed me, and give me a renewed appreciation for your faithfulness.