Dear Vince,
My old pastor told me, "It comes to pass, it doesn't come to stay". You are not going to feel lousy from now on. Better days are ahead. Better days!
All I know is what I saw from the upper deck at the game Sunday and what I've read in the paper. So I'm not saying I know the whole story. I'm just going to say that I empathize with what I imagine you may be feeling. On the one hand, that sounds silly because I'm not a world class athlete. I'm not a public figure. I have never been subjected to criticism on a national level or heard it in person from thousands of people at one time. And my money pressures are different than yours.
On the other hand, I've experienced the feeling when life goes into turmoil and everything appears hopeless. I've thought, "this stinks. I've got to get out". I've even questioned whether life is worth the struggle. If that's you right now, you're not the only one. I believe some people are wired so that they can go through life and not feel things that happen the same way I do. Some people don't let things get to them as much as I do. I've been depressed. I've been very depressed. I'll probably get depressed again. And I know it's a miserable feeling. It's taken me way too long to figure out that there are tools that help every time I get that way. These tools were gifts from God through a lot of wonderful people. Here are a few:
- Give it over to God. I believe we weren't meant to try and manage our own lives. I believe God wants to manage my life. The tough part for me is surrendering to that belief. On the days I start my day the way I should, I get down on my knees and surrender my will and my life to God in prayer. Then I take some time to read a devotional.
- Find a way to be of service. When I'm living the way one should having been blessed as richly as I've been, I'm involved in service and kindness to others. A friend recommended to me that I try acts of service or kindness in a way that only me and God know who did it.
- Practice humility. I can't tell you how because I'm not very good at it yet. But I do believe that it's absolutely essential to living a fulfilled life, and that #1 above is part of it.
- Keep a gratitude list. I keep a list of encouraging thoughts, verses, or stories I come across. If someone says something encouraging or complimentary to me, I try to write it down on that same list. I keep my favorite Bible verses written down on that list. I write down all the ways in which I've been blessed and what I'm grateful for. When I'm depressed, I read over that list and then make sure I add one more item to it.
- Make time to get exercise. I wonder if your work involves working out whether you get the same release I do, but I hope so.
- Don't isolate myself. I need people I can talk to who will encourage me, who will tell me what is the next right thing to do, who will tell me the truth even if I don't want to hear it, and who will keep my confidence. So David Climer is probably not your best bet (ha ha).
- Examine my conscience to discover if there is anything I need to come clean about. If there is, confess it before God and even perhaps the right person from #6 above.
- Have faith in the promises of James chapter 1, Romans 8, Luke 12: 4-7 and Jeremiah 29:11.
- Read positive literature like Randy Pausch's, The Last Lecture.
- I enjoy watching #10 play.
Vince, I'm praying for you. Will you pray for me? I hope your knee heals soon and you live a joyful life.
Your fan,
-Dirk
