TRAVELING IN THE LIGHT

Every year I have to fight off seasonal depression. Oftentimes it goes along with situational depression. And I am not the only one. Before we can fight off depression, we first have to recognize it for what it is. Thoughts are mostly negative. It feels like a darkness has enveloped you. You lose much of your drive. You have trouble facing each day. You withdraw from others or you seek out those who might make you feel better, either through their fun-loving spirit or through their words of true wisdom and caring. You feel unloved and tell yourself you are a loser. You lose hope that any good thing will come your way. Some turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, food or anything else that might give their attitude a lift. That oftentimes leads to more problems and makes life worse than before. And if there are young ones in the house, they are learning from your behavior in how you face life's battles.

I wrote this poem twenty-something years ago while going through one of my bouts of depression. I added one of the verses today (today now being years ago).

TRAVELING IN THE LIGHT

There was no place in my mind to find peace,

No place in my heart to find rest.

So many things in my life had gone wrong,

My sanity seemed put to the test.

I traveled the labyrinth of my mind,

I searched every cranny and nook;

Yet I found only sadness or trouble,

No matter where in it I looked.

As among the dark tunnels I traveled,

I was always looking down.

It wasn’t until I looked up,

That I began to lose my frown.

I basked my mind in the light of the Son,

And felt a healing like no other kind.

A peace that passes understanding,

Flooded the corridors of my mind.

I found comfort in reading God’s Word,

Where He invites those who need rest,

Who are weary and heavy laden,

To put His love to the test.

Now I welcome my family and friends,
Whom I've avoided way too long.
I look for ways to help others,
And praise Jesus Christ through song.

Though the road of life for me is still rough,

Christ lights my path as I roam.

He will give my mind direction,
'Til He escorts me safely home.

Becky Wall

ELIJAH FIGHTS HIS TOUGHEST BATTLE: DEPRESSION

NOTE: Look for all the signs of depression in this story: withdrawal from friends and family, sleeping too much, loss of appetite, hopelessness, a death wish, preoccupation with the same negative thoughts, loss of enthusiasm, self-pity and despair. But also note that the end of Elijah’s depression came when God, the greatest psychologist, gave him hope and a mission. Everyone needs hope and to feel productive and we all need to be needed.

ELIJAH FIGHTS HIS TOUGHEST BATTLE: DEPRESSION

(I Kings 19:1-18)

Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah--

'fore tomorrow’s end drew nigh!

Elijah was so afraid of death,

That he just wanted to die.

He had endured many trials,

With courage, strength and honor,

But now that he faced Jezebel,

He thought he was a goner.

He ran for his life to Beersheba,

And left his servant there.

In the desert he prayed for death;

His problems were too much to bear.

He told God frankly he’d had enough,

And begged Him to take his life.

Weary from worry, he fell asleep;

He was physically spent by his strife.

All at once, he was touched by an angel,

Which, of course, made him awake.

The angel asked him to get up and eat;

By his head was water and cake.

He ate the simple meal,

Then lay down again to rest.

He was still consumed by grief;

In other words, he was depressed.

Again he was touched by the angel,

With a cake, and water to sip.

“Arise and eat," the angel said;

"You need strength for a very long trip.”

For forty days and nights he traveled,

Still preoccupied by his plight.

He reached Horeb, the mountain of God;

In a cave he spent the night.

The word of the Lord came to him,

“What are you doing here?”

Elijah told God the predicament,

That was causing him so much fear.

“Go stand on the mountain,” God said,

“For the Lord will soon pass by.”

Elijah now had a mountain to climb;

He must have wanted to cry.

A wind tore apart the mountain,

Yet God was not in the wind.

Elijah most surely wondered,

When would his nightmare end.

When the earth began to quake,

He expected God to be there,

But God was not in the rumble,

So Elijah was still in despair.

Elijah pursued God’s help,

So he looked for Him in a fire.

When God was not in the flames,

Elijah wallowed in his mire.

Then he heard a still, small voice--

He was scared; he could hardly cope.

He pulled his cloak across his face,

But the words brought whispering hope.

God gave Elijah a mission,

For the seven thousand still true.

He wasn’t the only believer,

And he was no longer blue.

Becky Wall

MOSES: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP RED SEA

(Exodus 14)

Moses had gone to Pharoah,

To say, “Let my people go.”

But it took 10 plagues, the last being death,

Before Pharoah would stop saying “No!”

So the Israelites left Egypt;

And they did so in a hurry.

They feared that Pharoah would change his mind;

That’s why they had to scurry.

Sure enough, they hadn’t gone far,

When Pharoah chased after them.

The Israelites were many,

So he brought an army with him.

When the sea faced the Israelites;

Again they were no longer free,

For the people found themselves trapped,

B’tween the devil and the deep Red Sea.

The people were ready to quit,

Though they had barely started.

But when Moses held out his rod,

The waters suddenly parted.

The Hebrews crossed the great divide,

On a path that was fairly wide.

And though the ground was dry,

A wall of water was on either side.

Once the last Hebrew crossed,

Pharoah’s army filled the path.

The water came crashing down,

And the Egyptians drowned in God’s wrath.

So when you face the impossible,

As long as you trust and obey,

God will bless and keep you;

He will make a way.

Becky Wall

SOLOMON: A WISE MAN'S FOLLY

A WISE MAN'S FOLLY

God appeared to King Solomon,

Within a dream at night.

He said He’d grant him any wish,

Whether riches, power or might.

Solomon’s answer was instant;

It was not of himself that he thought.

He wanted to rule his people well,

So wisdom was all he sought.

Solomon’s wish was granted,

For God was pleased indeed.

He gave him riches and power, too,

And wisdom no one could exceed.

Two women came to him one day,

To speak with him face to face.

They were having a hostile argument,

And asked him to judge their case.

The women had each bore a baby,

Then one night while they were asleep,

The one rolled over on hers,

For she was sleeping so deep.

She later switched the two children,

When she found her baby was dead.

But the real mother knew the child she bore,

Was not the one in her bed.

After hearing each woman’s story,

Solomon knew just what to do.

He asked that a sword be brought to him,

So the child could be cut in two.

Since there was only one baby,

And the real mother wasn’t known,

Each one could be given half,

For each said the child was her own.

The real mother loved her child,

So she showed much anguish and strife.

“Let her have the child,” she cried,

“But please, do not take his life!”

Solomon gave the mother her child,

After hearing nonsense from the other.

The one who said, “Cut the child in two,”

Could not be the infant’s mother.

He wasn’t so smart when choosing his wives,

For they became his undoing.

They were not of God’s people,

And their idols he began wooing.

God withdrew His protection,

And so the nation grew weak.

Though Solomon finished his reign,

The nation’s future looked bleak.

There was irony in his folly,

For compared to the case he had tried,

Though the child was not cut in two,

The nation he would divide.

His wisdom could not be matched;

None greater could anyone find.

But wisdom is almost absent,

When one has an idol mind.

Becky Wall

CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION: THE GREATEST PAIN OF ALL

THE GREATEST P AIN OF ALL

(Based on Psalm 22:14-18)

A pack of villains lay me on a cross,

 Though the beatings have taken their toll.
They drive a nail through each hand and my feet,

Lift the cross and drop it in a hole.

My blood pours out like water,

While people gloat and point.

The weight of my body pulls me apart,

‘Til my bones are out of joint.

My mouth is chapped and swollen,

I have never felt such thirst.

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth,
While with other men’s tongues I am cursed.

Wild, hungry dogs surround me,

Drawn by my blood’s appeal.

They wait for my body to drop,

So they can have their next meal.

I can count all of my bones,

For they are on display.

But no matter how much I suffer,

This is the price I must pay.

My clothes are divided among them;

They try to humiliate me.

They cast lots for my outer garment.

I’m exposed for the world to see.

My heart is weak and aching,

Under the weight of man’s sin,

For the greatest pain of all,

Is in knowing the hearts of such men.

Becky Wall

FOR HIS BRIDE

He loved and treated his bride with devotion,

It was she he chose to adore.

He gave her many precious gifts;

How could she want for more?

He served her bread and wine;

She took them without a thought.

He paid the greatest price for them;

It was for her they were bought.

But she was wooed by others;

To their charms she was often seduced.

Her groom chose to forgive her;

Though to shame he was reduced.

He knew that his bride was unfaithful,

Yet, for her he was crucified.

No greater love has any man;

For his bride, the church, Christ died.

Becky Wall

ROCK AND ROLL WITH JESUS

ROCK AND ROLL WITH JESUS

The words of the music you listen to,

In your life will become a part;

The words will follow a natural course:

From your ears to your mind and heart.

If a Christian song is on your lips,

With its message your each day starts,

The Spirit will move with the music,

But not to the beat--He moves hearts.

When Satan is the ghostwriter,

And the lyrics mock the Good News,

Your life will start to mimic the words,

And your soul will be singing the blues.

If Godly music sounds foolish;

Other songs you would rather croon,

When heaven’s chorus sings on Judgment Day,

You’ll for sure sing a different tune.

So rock and roll with Jesus;

Don’t let Satan steal the whole show.

If your foot is set on His solid rock,

Then your name is on heaven’s roll.

Becky Wall

SONRISE

 SONRISE

(Based on Matt. 27:45-28:6 & I Cor. 15:54)

Jesus had been crucified,

Darkness filled the earth,

Three days thence it trembled,

The earth was giving birth.

An angel rolled the stone away,

   Sonlight filled the skies,

Prophecies were now fulfilled,

Finally came Sonrise.

Death no longer masters us,

The victory has been won.

Mourning turned to morning,

With the rising of the Son.

Becky Wall

CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION: THE POUNDING OF THE NAILS

THE POUNDING OF THE NAILS

Sunday morning rolled around,

And I was half asleep,

Unconcerned what day it was,

‘Til something made me weep.

The crucifixion story,

Came to life that day;

I witnessed in my mind’s eye,

The price Christ had to pay.

They laid Him down upon a cross,

His clothes already stripped,

A crown of thorns upon His head,

And stripes where He was whipped.

Then I heard an awful sound,

Along with Mary’s wails;

The sound that changed my life,

Was the pounding of the nails.

Church means so much more to me,

For when I miss I find,

The pounding of the nails,

Echoes through my mind.

Becky Wall

NEBUDCHANEZZAR: THE KING WHO GRAZED ON GRASS

(Daniel 4)

THE KING WHO GRAZED ON GRASS

  

While Daniel was captive in Babylon

Nebudchanezzar was the king.

He oppressed the poor and exalted himself,

But God saw him worth teaching.

One day the king had a vivid dream,

While he was rich and content.

The dream he had made him fearful;

He didn’t know what it meant.

So he called together his “wise” men,

That consisted of magicians and enchanters.

The crowd of “wise” men also included,

Astrologers and diviners.

But none could interpret the dream,

Then Daniel entered his presence.

The king remembered Daniel’s God,

And no mystery could master His brilliance.

Daniel was to tell details of the dream,

But its meaning left him spent.

Although Daniel was afraid to respond,

The king asked what the dream meant.

Daniel at first was puzzled,

And his thoughts terrified him.

He knew his reply might trouble the king,

So he was feeling grim.

The king told Daniel to have no fear,

If the meaning he would disclose.

Daniel said it would be better,

If the dream was meant for his foes.

Daniel told how the tree in the dream,

Was so large that the whole world could see.

Then Daniel explained that part:

“You, Oh King, are that tree.”

So far, so good, but the dream turned sour;

One would come from heaven and say,

“Cut down the tree and destroy it,

But the stump and the roots should stay.”

“Seven years you will live like animals,

You’ll be drenched in heaven’s dew.

You will graze on grass like cattle,

And no one will be there for you.”

But nothing happened overnight;

A year later on the roof stood the "tree."

He saw himself as king of the world,

Reveling in his own majesty.

The words were still on his lips,

When a voice came down from heaven.

“Your royal authority has been taken,

And from people you will be driven.”

And so the dream was fulfilled;

The king was like a wild beast.

He was drenched in heaven’s dew,

While on the grass he would feast.

His hair was like eagle’s feathers,

And his nails like the claws of a bird.

Seven years passed and he looked to heaven,

And his sanity returned at God’s word.

He became greater than ever before;

His honor and splendor returned.

But he now gave God the glory,

And told how his lesson he’d learned.

He acknowledged that the prideful,

God is able to humble.

He took pleasure in telling his story;

He didn’t want others to stumble.

“Pride comes before the fall,” scripture says,

And the king represents all men.

Though he once was a legend in his own mind,

Once humbled, God restored him again.

Becky L. Wall