Author: Carol Underhill

Climbing Out of Depression: Key Steps to Healing

/ Carol Underhill / 1 Comment

I published this post a few years ago. Every now and then I read back over it to remind myself of the steps I took to get out of the pit of depression. God’s eternal truths never change. And by clinging to those truths, we can rise above thoughts that lead us into depression.

I started going to a Christian counselor in October 2013 to help me through the depression I was stuck in.

I’m certain God led me to this counselor, as she and her husband were missionaries in Saltillo, Mexico, in the same year that I studied there. Not only that, but she studied Spanish at the same language institute that I did there in Saltillo, just not at the same exact time. It was enough of a connection to believe that God brought her into my life to help me heal.

One of the first things my counselor did was share with me Psalm 40:1-2.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.

The verses describe what it feels like to live in depression and grief.

My counselor gave me the word picture that there is a pit of depression, but there are rungs to help us climb out of it.

The rungs are truths that we know. For a Christian, those truths are founded in the Word of God.

My late husband had made notes in the margins of his Bible. Icame across these words he’d written in the book of Ephesians:

God loves me.

God accepts me.

God forgives me.

These were three truths that I could count on. They were rungs that I could use to help myself climb out of the pit.

I added a truth of my own:

I am a child of God.

My counselor agreed with these truths. She also added some.

I am who I am by God’s design.

God gave life to dirt. He made us in His image. My value comes from being made in the image of God.

God sees us as His children.

He delights in us.

He loves us for who we are.

Whether we believe it or not, it’s still the truth.

As a person thinks in their heart, so they are.

Those are the rungs of truth that I could use to climb out of the pit of depression.

Before I could grasp hold of a rung, however, I first needed to catch myself thinking negative thoughts.

I had to picture a stop sign.

Once I caught myself thinking a negative thought about myself, I could stop the thought from taking root.

The the next step was to replace the negative thought with a positive rung of truth. After a while, these truths became a part of who I was.

The process of climbing out of the pit did not happen overnight. Sometimes it was two steps forward and three steps back. But I continued to go to counseling and built on that foundation.

Over time and through much prayer and determination, I can say that I am safely out of that pit most of the time. When I start to slip, I try to remember what I’ve learned and keep from falling back in.

God wants me to remember that He is my heavenly Father, that He loves me and accepts me just as I am. I am His child. And I’m so thankful to God for His faithfulness in my life.

Good Monday Morning 6-27-22

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Loss.

Loss. There is no way to avoid it. In this world that is temporary, we humans will experience many kinds of losses.

This morning I am grieving the loss of my my dad. Although it’s been 17 years since he passed away, the anniversary date was this weekend.

The loss of my dad was made harder because of losing my mom the previous November. With both gone, I had no parents. The oldest generation in my immediate family was gone.

My siblings and I are now the oldest generation. My parents died too young but both lived a full life. Their Christian faith inspired me to serve the Lord in church ministry. They were both involved in their local churches since young adulthood. There are many who have expressed gratitude for my parents’ Christian influence. There will be many jewels in their heavenly crowns for the souls they won to Christ.

When my dad passed away, good friends gave us a basket of plants that my siblings gave it to me. My husband and I planted one in front of our deck. It thrived. It’s called a Spirea plant. It blooms with white flowers that turn purple. The blooms don’t last very long but…

It blooms on almost the same day that my dad passed away. This past weekend was the anniversary date. Sure enough, the white flowers popped out and are already turning purple.

Beside the plant we put a stepping stone that was given to us by the same family at the funeral of my mom. It reads, “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.” It is very fitting because I treasure the memories of both Mom and Dad.

A few years ago, my youngest son asked who was buried there. I didn’t realize he thought it was a grave. I assured him no one was and that it was a memorial stone. I don’t know if he remembers his grandparents as he was only four when they passed away. But he was loved by them and their love will always be a part of him.

My parents left a legacy of faith and love that touched many lives that I pray will continue on through my children also.

Dog Tails: Blue

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Today’s pet rescue is named Blue.

This pretty girl is 3 1/2 years old.

She came to the shelter because two families came together and ended up with seven children and several animals and Blue was overwhelmed.

Blue is one of the best athletes you will ever meet. She needs a very large fenced in yard where she can run and chase tennis balls and frisbees.

She is a sweetheart.

For details on how to adopt Blue, contact http://www.arcofmecostacounty.com.

Good Monday Morning 6-13

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Good Monday morning, June 13.

This is the second Monday of June. Already. It feels like summer is almost over before it has even started. It always seems to go by fast.

Last summer my son, daughter and I went to the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan for a couple of days. We had a great time and the place we stayed was beautiful. The place is rich in history and would make a great setting for a historical series about the Coast Guard. I haven’t done any research toward that end but it is on the list of things to do.

This year we want to travel to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and see Tahquamenon Falls and visit Sault Ste. Marie. I took a week off in August, but instead of going then, during the peak of summer and heat, we decided to wait and go in early fall. Maybe we’ll see some of the fall colors while we travel.

Maybe I should say that traveling will depend on whether I can save enough money this summer to go on vacation. I’m working but my job is part-time. That is all that I can manage. I tried to increase my hours this winter and it led to an overabundance of stress. In May my hours were cut, from 12 clients a week to 8 or 9, to cut back on stress.

Now in July there will be a few new clients added. Each time I houseclean for a new client, I have to get to know their personality as well as find out how they like their house cleaned, what products they use and where their supplies are kept. So it isn’t a simple process.

It takes me a while to feel comfortable with new people and new places.

Sometimes personalities don’t mesh well, or they have unrealistic expectations. Not all clients remain on my schedule. And because of the nature of the work that I do and the clients’ ages, there are many things that factor into losing a client. My employer’s goal is to assist seniors so they can stay in their own homes as long as possible. Some of the clients I had in the past moved into nursing homes or onto their heavenly home.

Since I never know how long I will have a client on my schedule, I give each person my best. I do the best job I can cleaning with the tools that they have. I also do my best to get them talking about things that they enjoy and learn some of their history. I’m one of only a few people in their lives that they see regularly.

Knowing that makes me try harder to communicate with them and not let my own anxieties and insecurities make getting to know them difficult.

There’s a song, Confidence, by Sanctus Real. In it is the phrase, “So I can face my giants with confidence.” It When it comes on the radio, I sing the words, “So I can face my clients with confidence.” I often pray for the difficult personalities and try and stay emotionally healthy so I can continue to do my job.

Remembering the words of this song helps me keep my job in perspective. I know for a fact that it is only by the grace of God that I am able to meet new people and develop a working friendship with them.

And in the past few months on, my confidence in myself and in my ability to socialize with people has grown tremendously.