Depression is a liar

Every now and again I veer away from art, textiles and travel and wander into serious stuff. Today is one of those days. 

Depression is a liar.  It tells you that you’re not good enough.  It makes you withdraw into yourself.  It makes you withdraw from family and friends.  It tells you that you are not loved because you’re unloveable.  It isolates you.

Why have veered into serious stuff?

Last week someone I knew took his own life. It came as a great shock to his family and friends. It was his 40th birthday earlier this year and he had at least another 40 years ahead of him.

As I've read the tributes written by his friends on his Facebook page, I've seen how loved he was and how much people are going to miss him.   He was funny, he was kind.  He was a nurse and his colleagues loved him because he was so supportive.  I'm sure his patients thought he was great too.

He loved my work and had two of my pieces on his wall.

I've no doubt his friends and family are asking themselves whether they could have done more.  I don't know.  And that's part of the problem.

Depression is a liar.  It heaps shame on you.  Shame on the person with depression.  Shame on the people left behind if it gets to the point of suicide.

It's essential to talk.  But depression says your friends have so much going on in their lives they don't have time for your troubles.  When you 'count your blessings' depression says you should be ashamed to feel so low when you have all these things going for you.

In case you are wondering what right I have to write about this, you are welcome to read other blog posts of mine:  Time to Talk and the follow-up More Talk.  There's also this one: Mental Health Awareness.

One of the things we can do is tell our frineds and family how much we appreciate them.  Honour them.  And why keep it just for friends and family - show appreciation to those you meet fleetingly that help you.

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression get help.  I know that's not easy.  It's easy for me to write but it's not an easy thing to do.  It takes courage.

I'll leave you this from The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.

(c) Charlie Mackesy/Ebury Press

and this

And the story behind the song.

Creative Hearts Awake

At the weekend I went to a conference in Sale, Cheshire.  It was called Creative Hearts Awake - releasing the gift of creativity.  While I was there I met up with some other members of His Kingdom Come - Carolyn, Sarah & Karen.  Fran was there too but not when we took the photo!

I think there will probably be more than one blog post about it but they won't be in the order of the conference timetable.

On Saturday afternoon I went to a Creative Writing workshop led by Tim Watson.   He talked about poetry and we worked our way through a short booklet he had put together and then got down to writing.

I have written some poetry in the past but then stopped.  Recently I have felt that I should start again but just didn't know where to start.  Of course the answer is to just do it but that didn't happen.  I needed a kick start and Tim provided it.

After the four of us taking part in the workshop had done an exercise together we were given half an hour to take one of the other exercises and write something.  I was planning to come back early on Sunday because I wanted to be at church to hear Rob preach on Honour - the first part of 5 weeks on the Culture of Jubilee Church.

And before I hear what Rob had to say I wanted to write something about the 5 words that we are using to describe the culture of the church: Honour, Courage, Authenticity, Passion and Family.  Here is what I wrote:

Jubilee. Jubilate!

Honour.
Bring honour to your name.
Bring honour to your people.
Respect. Love.
Support. Encourage.
Hold in high esteem.
Release the gifts. The spiritual gifts.
Release the talents and the skills.

Jubilee. Jubilate!
Rejoice before our God.
Jubilee. Jubilate!
Take our joy to the people.
Take our God from the confines of the church
Reveal him in the marketplace.
Rejoice.

Courage.
Risk taking. Stepping out.
Speak.
Find my voice.
Speak out.
Go to the town.
Go to the nation.
Go to the world.
Pray.
Pray risky prayers.
Jubilee. Jubilate!
Rejoice before our God.

Jubilee. Jubilate!
Take our joy to the people.
Take our God from the confines of the church
Reveal him in the marketplace.
Rejoice.

Authenticity
Being me.
Accepting me for who I am
Made in the image of God.
Accepting you for who you are
Made in the image of God.
Each different.
Accepting one another.
Living transparent lives.
Encouraging one another
Helping one another
One anothering.
Iron sharpens iron.
No shame. Just truthful lives
Jubilee. Jubilate!
Rejoice before our God.

Jubilee. Jubilate!
Take our joy to the people.
Take our God from the confines of the church
Reveal him in the marketplace.
Rejoice.

Passion
Kingdom
Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom values here on earth.
Wholeheartedly.
Wholeheartedness.
Pursue. Pursuit.
Run after God.

Jubilee. Jubilate!
Rejoice before our God.
Jubilee. Jubilate!
Take our joy to the people.
Take our God from the confines of the church
Reveal him in the marketplace.
Rejoice.

Family
People joined together by our love of God.
Not nuclear.
Not 2.4 children.
A body of people together.
A tribe. A village.
Single. Married. Divorced. Brothers. Sisters.
Children.
Related by blood.
Christ's blood.

Jubilee. Jubilate!
Rejoice before our God.
Jubilee. Jubilate!
Take our joy to the people.
Take our God from the confines of the church
Reveal him in the marketplace.
Rejoice!

Thanks for stopping by.
Bernice