Your comment: “emotions are not ’caused’, they are chosen.” ugh, that is a hard one. I think you are right when you say the answer lies only in His Word.

I just don’t get it…, why did God decide to give us such extreme emotions…, or a better question is…, why did God decide to put us in a place on this earth (family) that would cause us to develop such extremes in our emotions?

I’d hate to think I “choose” to feel so bad. On the other hand, I have to take medication antidepressants, to feel better. So I guess I choose to feel better.

Oh this is all so confusing :(

Can you tell I “chose” to not take my antidepressant yesterday?

Denise

Ok, lol, we are emotional creatures, what you shared made me cry…, but it was a good cry a healing cry because we know who we are in Christ.

For the longest time I could not pray to the Father…, I could not use that word. Jesus was my friend, my savior, my one who would hold me when we were sad. But now after many years of being afraid of the Father, we can see Him for who He is, loving, kind, patient, understanding, a real papa. That’s what we needed in our life.

I always hear it said that “emotions just are.” I’m not really sure what people mean when they say that. I hope to one day finally understand what that statement means, lol. Does it mean emotions are neither good or bad? I don’t think that is what it means. It makes me feel like when they say “emotions just are” that we have no control over them…, which most of us feel like we don’t have control over them.

Again, thank you for sharing that poem, it really spoke to my heart.

Denise

Who could love a child like this? Who would….and even more, who could know this kind of abandonment and pain. Who could possibly know this brokenness….

Only Jesus….only He has known this aloneness, only He has known this kind of betrayal by those I thought loved me….only He has known a wounded and shattered heart like this….yes, only Jesus could love someone like me.

Someone gave me this poem…and these words were a truth I could understand during a very deep storm in my life. I have shared them before and want to share them again.

Dear Child of Mine

I look back on the years of your growing up, and my eyes can see all the times and situations in which you were hurt, whether intentionally or unintentionally. I can hear the wounding words and see the harmful deeds, and I know the scars you carry in your personality because of them. Sometimes the very people you looked to for love and affection were the ones who wounded you most. Sometimes they were members of your own family!

But hear me now, my child. Though they have wounded you, I will never wound you. Though they have let you down, I will never let you down. Though their words and deeds have harmed you, I speak to you words of hope and healing. I reach out to you with justice and kindness and love. I am constantly thinking of you, my child. You are always with me. I cannot forget you for one moment. See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Come now and let me heal the wounds of your childhood.

Your loving Abba,

God

But it is hard, when your struggles with the scars from the past and your inside is shattered into pieces, to hold on to the Lord’s words and not let those emotions run us over.

This devotional and all who shared here their struggles and victories has empowered me to hold on. I pray that each of you have been helped by these posts.

There are times when I am passed an emotional point and feel more steady on my feet and I just look to the Lord and jokingly say, “Lord, what the heck were you thinking giving us all these emotions?” lol I sure hope He has a sense of humor. He must have…, He made man and then women and thought it would be a good idea for them to come together as husband and wife. I find lots of humor in that one, lol. I tell my hubby that it’s a HUGE game He is playing with us. That if we are strong enough to live until the end, then we have won! Again…, “what was God thinking? lol”

Never lose your sense of humor, always find something to laugh about.

I also do what a lot of you are doing, thinking about what types of foods are going into my body and getting out there and going for walks. We desperately need as much sunshine as we can get and the exercise really helps.

But there are those days…, we all know them…, the ones where we don’t think we can go on. The ones were we are afraid the next day will look like the horrible day we are living in today.

I learned something when I was ready to give up…, and it was from the Bible and it spoke so much to me. I’ll share these verses with you so that maybe it will help you when you get this desperate.

In John 10:18 Jesus is telling us about life and death and this is what He shared with me…, ‘I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father’ (John 10:18).

It REALLY hit me that Jesus, our Messiah, has to receive authority from God to lay down His life.

Ok, got to run, husband wants to head out to church. Sorry for the abrupt ending, lol.

I would say this ladies…you are stronger women than you realize or you would not be here. I encourage you…hang on to Jesus. He is the only answer.

After years of depression…more like a lifetime and literally wanting to die in the sense, I didn’t think I could stand another day, I did finally move out of that pit. Lay yourself before Jesus…….fall upon you face and trust the unknown, knowing He is holding your hand. There were times that I now realize, He literally carried me through..moment by moment, hour by hour and day by day. There were times I bowed before Him….when no words would come forth…but only tears and silence. It was those times that He interceded to the Father, for me. I know He did that…because I am a living testimony today.

Dear Ladies….He knows your pain….He knows everything about you. He feels everything you feel and wants us to have peace, He wants to calm our fears and still our souls. I cannot tell you how many times I have read Psalm 139. It brings a quiet peace to my heart even today.

I know He kept me for a reason….and I know the things from my life that have wounded me, have purpose…even today. If for no other reason, but to tell someone that I understand….that I care and that I will pray.

His grace is truly sufficient and He will carry us through the waters…..that will never take us under…so hold onto Him. I love Isaiah 43:2…..and remember also….it is satan who wants to destroy us…to make us utterly ineffective for the Lord……but He that is within us is Greater…..than anything the world, our past, our present or worry of our future…. can throw at us.

Dear Jesus…

I lift these women to You. Pour down Your loving grace and mercy right now. Envelope them in Your loving peace and lift that wicked spirit of depression from them. Lord, fill them with Your power to come against satan ….in this vicious battle. We know You do not give us a spirit of fear nor a spirit of defeat. Work in their lives as they seek Your face.

In Jesus Name…..

Denise and Pat, I am praying for you.
I can relate to you. I am a stroke surivor and as a result, serotonin is not released in the brain anymore, so I take an anti-depressant which helps the serotonin to release. I also eat a banana each morning and I work out.

Working out helps the body release serotonin. If you are not working out, you need to start a work out schedule.

Also, do a search about foods and serotonin (actually tryptophan). There are certain foods which help with the serotonin. Banana is one of them.

I am also post menopausal. The top 3 side effects for it are the same top three side effects for being a stroke survivor. I had a double whammy. Yeah, I guess you could say I know what I am talking about. It is part of my life.

Advice I told myself is:
Pray as though it depends upon God and work as though it depends upon you. Even doing all of this, some days are harder than others. However, through it all the one scripture verse which came to my mind is Proverbs 3: 5 & 6.
(My memory was taken and so my memorized verses were gone, except for this one.)
Also, find a friend—a prayer partner—who can pray for you, as well as, you being able to pray for her.
Yes, and have a daily time with the Lord—reading scripture and praying.

Blessings, Judy