Melancholy 020414 Help

Melacholy isolates.  Isolation is not good.
But it"s tough to be in groups when one is afflicted with melacholy.

Their funny isn't funny.
Their sadness is too much.
Their smiles are frightening.
Their happiness is sorrow.

Everything is twisted into a knot of pain and darkness.

But - isolation ins't good.

We need each other.

Just being with someone
Quietly
Tenderheartedly
Compassionately
Just being with someone can help

The temptation though is to try to "fix" the melancholy
Resist that

Encourage using tangible things
Simple things
Avoid the high and lofty.

Read then scripture
Gentle scripture
Tender scripture
Read softly
Lovingly

Once, when I was in a particularly tough time I found that emails, texts and even brief phone messages were powerful tools.  I was alone but not forgotten.  People were praying for me thinking of me even rooting for me.  It made a quiet simple difference.

Melacholy - 020314 After morning blessings 10:00am

I am melacholy
But not without my uses

I can work within it
When I don't try to make excuses

Where is God in all of this?
Yep!

God is in all of this!

I am melacholy
Because
He has allowed it
Maybe He made it happen

But

What's important
Is that
In it
I have certain affinities
And insights
And abilities
I never would have
Without it

Again,
We all want to see a miracle
But we don't want the need of a miracle

We don't want to be blind so we can receive our sight
We don't want to be lame so we can walk
We don't want to be lepers so we can be cleansed

We don't really want to NEED a miracle

What we want to is to be OK
And get a miracle to get BETTER

We don't understand the usefulness
Our affliction brings
And that's understandable
Just not acceptable

Few know the vanity of life like we do
Few know the alure of the flesh like we do
Few know the pride of life like we do
Few know their sin like we do
SO
Few know their deep deep need of Christ
Like we do

Few get to know God or themselves - or others
Like we do

The Hell of Melancholy - Sunday

I've tried four times to write to you concerning Sundayship - it all boils down to this - at least for me - at times . . . .

Go

Get up - get dressed - and go

Don't go with expectations

Just go

Be there

With others

Who are just as needy as you
But don't know it

Go

Be there

With them

With Him

Go

Enter late - sit in the back and leave early - but go

Go
Go
Go

The Hell of Melancholy 020114 4:39 AM

Another day
Gotta live it
He woke me up to it
There must be a reason

Wanna believe that
More than I do
That He has a reason
For my being alive today

I've seen it
Even in the dark
In the cold
So cold my breath freeezes

But what
Will He do
For me
Selfish, selfcentered, self-absorbed
Me

The affliction
Inside
And outside
The circumstances
Create a vaccuum
In my heart

OK so far
But I know
Not much further

Devotions
HA
Seem hollow
Contrived
But
They are all
Of the little
I have
Doing
Just doing
Must sometimes
Be enough

"If only"
Meatloaf was right
"The loneliest words you'll ever know,
If only-if only it was so."

Another day
Things to do
Things for Him
Or I'd not be.

Goooood morning
This is WHOPEless radio
Playing in your head
With all the new hits
To get you threw the day

Stay tuned
More darkness and despair to come

Note to the reader:  There are a few magical moments in the morning where the tide is our and one does not feel like they are drowning.  Those with afflicted souls have t grab those moments and get as close to God as they can becasue they know that this is the time - low tide - when they can steak; that sense of His closeness and the truth of the Gospel and maybe  just maybe catch a glimpse of the joy they knew and yet know is there.  But you gotta be "rabbit quick."