When the Rain Won't Stop
Faith @ Work Monthly Message: October 15, 2007
Featured Speaker: Sherry Pickle
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.
We may never look at an umbrella in the same way again, after hearing Sherry Pickle's message at our last luncheon. Sherry wanted to encourage women struggling in the midst of anxiety, stress, or even depression. And so, with her umbrella in hand, she talked to us about the things that can keep us sheltered in the storm.
The statistics are grim. According to Sherry’s research, over 17 million Americans are affected by depression each year. One in four women will have severe depression in their lifetime. Anxiety and stress can often be instigators of clinical depression, and far too many of us allow worry to build up in ways that can affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Sherry herself was in denial when a trip to the doctor for chest pain revealed that she had an ulcer. “Christians don’t get ulcers!” she said. But Christianity isn’t a guarantee that we’ll never face stressful situations and our humanness makes us susceptible to those physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences.
So Sherry proposed that if life is a series of storms, then God’s protection might be compared to an umbrella. The supports that hold out the opened umbrella represent some of the practical ways God provides His protection. She then gave us some great examples of those strong supports.
Featured Speaker: Sherry Pickle
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.
We may never look at an umbrella in the same way again, after hearing Sherry Pickle's message at our last luncheon. Sherry wanted to encourage women struggling in the midst of anxiety, stress, or even depression. And so, with her umbrella in hand, she talked to us about the things that can keep us sheltered in the storm.
The statistics are grim. According to Sherry’s research, over 17 million Americans are affected by depression each year. One in four women will have severe depression in their lifetime. Anxiety and stress can often be instigators of clinical depression, and far too many of us allow worry to build up in ways that can affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Sherry herself was in denial when a trip to the doctor for chest pain revealed that she had an ulcer. “Christians don’t get ulcers!” she said. But Christianity isn’t a guarantee that we’ll never face stressful situations and our humanness makes us susceptible to those physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences.
So Sherry proposed that if life is a series of storms, then God’s protection might be compared to an umbrella. The supports that hold out the opened umbrella represent some of the practical ways God provides His protection. She then gave us some great examples of those strong supports.
- Pray! Listen! God may be trying to get your attention!
- Make sure that what you’re dealing with is not physical or chemical. Seek professional counsel if necessary.
- Bury yourself in Scripture, like Psalms 34 and 46, Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Peter 5:6-7.
- Beware of your own mind and imagination.
- Tell someone else what you’re struggling with; let another person come alongside.
