It’s been about 48 hours since I attended what I think is a huge turning point in my “healing” from depression. This blog is not about my business, but I attended a WayFM and Old Hickory Chamber sponsored networking event. Taft Ayers from WayFM talked to us about being intentional in our businesses.

I think if I were to write a mission statement for this blog it would be about being intentional about “healing” from depression. I put healing in quotations because I think its going to be a thorn in my flesh for the rest of my life, but that’s not to say God cannot take it away. My writing has always talked about depression from a chronic perspective, but let’s never forget that Yahweh does not operate from a “chronic” mentality. I take a very high view of the Bible, and unless we’re talking about books like Daniel and Revelation then I firmly believe that everything written in the Bible, including Daniel’s time in the lion’s den, happened. I politely disagree with Thomas Jefferson’s rewriting of the New Testament with no supernatural activity. Jesus was raised from the dead, and because of that I write these words. One of my favorite verses is Revelation 3.8.

I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut… NRSV

Satan and his network of evil perpetrators are intent on slamming doors in our faces. They will use good, evil and indifferent to do it too. They know they’re going down, and they want to take as many with them as they can. You know all this. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. Times like this are not for educating you, rather they serve to remind you that the days are evil, and we must be on guard against the things that separate us from God and each other. There are strength in numbers, and I know that depression can make me feel isolated and lonely, but when I risk being vulnerable here or in person there can be healing and victory found over evil. I think I’ve written recently about lies, and I think that’s one of the biggest tools evil uses in combat against believers and non-believers. Every single one of you are drawn here because we are kindred spirits in the fight for freedom and truth. We’ve been fed lies our entire lives about who we are, and now God is bringing about light in our lives that gives us intentionality with each other. Whether you are recovering from an eating disorder or mental illness lies are the common denominator for our battle. Yes of course the chemical imbalance in our brains is messed up, hence the reason we’ve gotten medical and psychological help. We continue to do so, but I think when the rubber meets the road we have to confront the lies about who we are in Jesus Christ head on.

Jesus has put before us an open door that no one can shut. No one can shut the doors He puts in front of us. Our blogs are prayers in His presence, and He knows every word we type. He knows every step we take, and He knows the number of heartbeats our lives will produce. He knows we need each other, but more importantly He knows we need the Father. He talks to the Father for us by name dear ones. Job was not the only name Yahweh knew. He knows ours.

He is omniscient. He is all knowing. He is all powerful. He’s omnipotent. He is everywhere always. He’s omnipresent. That’s why that open door is always open when we acknowledge His presence.

Life is excruciating at times. Some of us are battling cancer that will eventually take our last breath. God is still God. Some soldiers won’t come home to be with their newborns. God will still be God. The brokenness in our world is palpable to say the least. Watching the evening news I do not do because I don’t need to be reminded of the daily battle I have with depression. My mind can still conjure the evil reported there. I continue to marvel at the life of Christ because not only did He not avoid the brokenness, but He came face to face with the people of His day who were the untouchables. And He touched them. There was even a lady who knew that if she could touch Him she would be healed. She was. He’s still that same touchable Jesus. We can’t see or touch Him the way that lady did, but His power is no less powerful. He’s even more powerful now because of the Spirit that is here in an among us as believers.

And that Spirit is opening doors left and right.

Walk through them beloved.