Depression: Somewhere Under the Rainbow

There is the idea in life that “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” there is a paradise that is the antithesis of the profound emptiness of sorrow, grief, despair and depression. What if your life has always been experienced “Somewhere Under the Rainbow,” and you cannot find the pathway that will lead you out of this painful Shadowland? The following is a reflective glimpse of what it is like to be someone who lives in the shadow of depression.

Somewhere Under the Rainbow 

I once found myself aware of raindrops on the window pane.

There was a time I only saw the sun, and did not see the rain.

            

Rainbow tears upon my face, from eyes that fade to gray;

the colors of the world I see in shadows more each day.

When did this darkness cloak my life, I truly do not know? Is there a pathway out from Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

There was a time my eyes could see the sunbeams through the trees,

and smell the fragrance of the dawn, in days when I was free.

The who I was, became the one I lost...a little more each day,

'tis the sun I hide away from now, in corners now I lay.

My prayers are whispers I cannot speak, why.... I do not know.... will I now always live my life, Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

I touched the edge of Heaven once and heard the angels sing. I am a stranger to myself, no ledge on which to cling,

 
When was the last time I saw something grow,
Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

How is it that a lullaby dream, I dared to dream one day, was only a song and not a prayer, of come whatever may?

My troubles didn't melt like lemon drops but are cast with feet of clay;

The skies that are Somewhere Under the Rainbow,  are stormy, cold and gray.

I was diagnosed with depression, and prescribed an SSRI, 

it was supposed to make me smile, but still inside I cry;

A broken shattered rainbow dream, no pill can ever heal;

why is it that they who know me best, cannot see that my pain is real?

Some where along the way of life, I lost the me I was to be,

The Lion and the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, they only frightened me.


I was lost in shadow, and played the role of come whatever may,

there were no fields of poppies, or ruby slippers to show me the way. 

Then Jesus found me bruised and lost, down a cobbled yellow brick road,

 


I learned that there is really no way that I could carry life's load.

He said, "Take my yoke upon you, it is soul rest that you need."

"My Yoke is easy and my burden is light, all you need to do is receive."

He bore the burden of my soul, and carried it to Calvary;

Only He could free my heart from its pain and misery.

The weight of life, lost dreams and hurt, it lifted from within.

I shed each mask I'd learned to wear, and each role I'd found safety in.

I am now His and He is mine, forever it will be.

The rainbow is in my heart today and His I'll ever be.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I am not meant to Fly.

Let Bluebirds dance amidst the clouds, I shall not question why.

To bring His light to Shadowland, that is my ministry,

to find the lonely pilgrims, lost and seeking lullaby dreams.

If you struggle with depression, and live at times Under The Rainbow, you are not alone. Remember that God is as near as the whisper of your prayer. He is in The Quiet Place and He is waiting for you.

Sometimes we live for a time in Shadowland, so that we can become trail guides, to show those who dwell there, that there is a way out from Somewhere Under the Rainbow.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Please take a moment and play this video presentation of, Somewhere over the Rainbow. Push the music player on the right on pause to stop the soundtrack, and then click on the play button in the center of the world to watch the video.

Finding The Quiet Place in the Midst of Stressful Change

There is a kind of unspoken tension that can be felt everywhere you go these days. It seems like everyone feels stressed, overwhelmed and driven. The hustle to get through the day often ends up with unexpected schedule changes, detours in traffic and for many, an uneasy sense of not getting done all that you had planned. We may begin our day with a check list, but there are variables, like unexpected changes, that frustrate and irritate us. 

Perhaps it is continuous unplanned, out of our control changes, that keep unsettling our lives and act like a flashing yellow light to proceed with caution...a reminder that life is becoming increasingly unpredictable. It may be time to stop, reevaluate our priorities and recheck the road map of our life. Adapting to change and learning to be flexible, works with basic life changes, but continuous change can slowly drain a person of vital coping strength. 

It may be time to pull over, take some time in The Quiet Place and bring a soothing hush to your busy world. When you walk through a quiet forest at sunrise, and smell the fresh dew upon the grass and the heady scent of cedar and fir, you hear the whisper of peace.

The Impact of Continuous Change 

From Chicago to New Deli, or from Auckland to Marseille, we are caught up together in a massive transitional change process these days. It touches all of us in different ways. However, the winds of continuous and life impacting change, lead eventually to burn-out and a progressive sense of apathy.

The Strain of Constant Change is Overwhelming

Adapting to change doesn't seem to be any less stressful whether it is working in jobs that are in federal, state, county, private or non-profit organizations. The constant pressure brought on by unremitting adjustment in the midst of change, the reorganization of priorities and learning new work tasks can be overwhelming. 

This is especially so when there are is a roller coaster of unwanted and unavoidable changes happening in your work life and personal life all at the same time.

The Disappointment of Shattered Dreams

Many find their way into The Quiet Place with hearts that are heavy with the despondency over lost jobs, and homes that have been foreclosed upon. The realization that benefits are not in place to protect one's family, and the burden of financial strain is devastating. Some may feel that God has let them down, and their faith is tottering on the ledge of despair.

Always remember that when it comes to God's attributes and His unending compassion and faithfulness, He is the only constant we will ever have. 

"For I am the Lord and I do not change."Malachi 3:6

It is in The Quiet Place that the weariness and strain of our heavy burdens, and broken dreams, can be lain at the feet of our loving God. The anxiety of the unknown that shadows the pathway of tomorrow is in His sovereign hands. Only He can give us peace. 

We are urged throughout the Scriptures to:"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous be shaken." Psalm 55:22

The Hebrew word for "cast" is "shalak" and it literally means to throw down, hurl, or to fling away from you. It is insightful to note that the Hebrew word for "cares" is "yehab" and means the burden which is a gift that God has given to you, and His desire is that you will discover that only He can carry it. God sustains and strengthens you from within, while He shoulders the weight of it upon Himself. (See also Matthew 11:28-30 and I Peter 5:7). 

In The Quiet Place we begin to understand that the burdens of life are not there to hurt us, but to deepen our faith and strengthen our trust in God. There is an intimacy that we experience with God in the darkest moments of our  lives, that fills The Quiet Place with His very presence. We are touched by it, and we are never the same.

Families are Rediscovering their Roots
 

The trans-generational relay race is God's way of making the family a secure support system throughout our lives. From great- grandparents, down to newborns in a family lineage, we can so easily drop the baton of family traditions, memorable events, and slowly lose sight of the most important fabric of any culture...the family.

In some rural regions, the "Nuclear Family" is now returning to a Walton's style "Extended Family," due to the economic restructuring of our World economy. Today many young couples are out of work, large numbers of men and women are returning from tours of duty, and the baby boomer generation is desperately trying to stay employed as they near retirement. With the progressive increase of the  cost of living, there are a lot of people that are starting to consolidate resources and move closer together.

The other day I asked a young man if he knew what Walton's Mountain was and he said, "Isn't that the place where they make that tasty hard caramel candy or somethun?" I think he was thinking of Werther's Original's. He then asked me if I wanted a Jelly Belly and I said, "No thanks, I already have one." What is with these young kids today? Does anyone remember the Walton family?

Large scale sociological change is here. As a society, we will learn from the past or sadly repeat it. The return to an extended family mindset is a good thing  many believe, because we are rediscovering something we cannot afford to lose in life, that wherever we may live on this planet....Making our Journey Mean Something is crucial to all of us.

Take some time out right now and spend it in The Quiet Place.