I've got the blues

“I’m a little unsettled about this post. Seems like I should always encourage you to not worry and be happy and feel blessed. But days of depression or the blues happen. And I’m here to tell you: it’s okay. Let me know what you think.” -jc

Sometimes… I’m not the “lovely” person I should be. Yes, I know, the sun is shining and the birds are singing and I got out of bed okay. There’s clean clothes to wear and food to eat. And a God Who loves me like crazy. One or two clicks into the social media will remind you of all this. And yet, there are still days when I’m not feeling so “Pollyanna”. I do have worries on my mind. There are so many loved ones struggling with physical ailments. An item on the evening news grabs ahold of my heart. I wonder if I’m nurturing the relationships I have well enough or am I allowing them to drift. Am I really living out my days or just surviving my days? Thinking about my poor, unappreciative attitude just adds to the list of stresses. I am weak. I stumble. I fail.

Sometimes… days are just like that. Sometimes I can pull myself up by my bootstraps and get back onto a good track. Sometimes… it just takes too much effort. And I do nothing. Even on a sunny day. Even when love is poured out on me. Even when everything in me says I have reason to brighten up and good grief, girl, be grateful.

Some days I have the blues. But I’m thinking there may be value, in God’s eyes, to see me so upset about other people’s condition, or about maintaining relationships. Or concern about how I live out my days. Those are valuable things to God. And worthy of time to grieve and mourn and be saddened by the thought of the pain involved.  Maybe these days are creating in me empathy and compassion. And a special kind of prayer. Could that be a higher calling than some of the stuff we pick out?

But life continually changes. A brighter spirit does come. On a different day, the sun and the sky do speak to me and lift me up. A hug and a kind word do spur me on. I don’t always fail at recognizing God’s goodness.

God can use the blues. God does use the blues – to focus our thoughts and prayers on some pain that needs prayer… pain that we would rather resist / fight against experiencing.

There are days when I am thankful. Thankful there may be God’s goodness hidden in the blues.

John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”