Don't permit your misery or defeats to depress you. Rather let them be steps by which you descend the deep mine where we find the precious gem of holy humility.
-- St. Paola Frassinetti
-- St. Paola Frassinetti
I bumped into this quote yesterday quite by accident, and it made me stop what I was doing and ponder the meaning. During the Christmas season, we see so much depression, due in part to setting such high standards for what we expect to happen. Craving a picture perfect “Brady Bunch” holiday, we often get “The Munster’s Wreck Christmas.” We are tired from all the running around, and Christmas day itself becomes a let down.
We alcoholics know this well and always plan round-the-clock AA meetings during the major holidays. It is a chance for people of like mind to gather together and share the spirit of Christmas.
Barring a medical problem, for which one needs to see a good physician, what we call “depression” is really dissatisfaction and disappointment, which is a submersion into self. When we turn inward, without intending to seek improvement, or when we want to blame others for our disappointment, we are practicing a perfect prescription for unhappiness.
Take time to examine the areas of your life that could use some improvement. Also, take time to recognize when God has been working overtime to bless and keep you safe. Recognize the struggles for what they really are – a time of growth in holiness
