My Utmost by Doing the Dishes

There is a reason that I am showing you my messy kitchen sink. I'll explain.

While treasure hunting earlier in the week, I was blessed with a copy of "My Utmost for His Highest". While contemplating it's purchase, I flipped to the page for February 17th, and knew I had to buy it. The title for that day is "Taking the Initiative Against Depression". I bought the book.

Many of you don't know that I struggle with depression. I have not always, but after the birth of my 3rd baby I suffered from post-partum depression. Ever since I have had waves of it that come and go. I do not talk about it much, I just give it to God. Many times I have prayed for God to take this depression from me, after reading this article, I won't pray for that anymore. I will pray to have the eyes to see God's inspiration and to obey His leading in doing the most simple and natural things.

February 17 - "Arise and Eat" (1 Kings 19:5)

"The Angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed , we would not be alive-only material things don't suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.

When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God's creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this was is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life".

WOW!

The thing that I am led, instinctively, to do when I am depressed is the dishes. If my kitchen is a mess you know I am having "one of those days". I know in my heart that if I would just do the dishes I would be lifted up. Now I understand. God is telling me what to do, I was just not listening with the right ears.

Praise you Lord for this new understanding. I will listen, I will see, and I will obey. You are such a loving, merciful, and gentle God. I fall on my knees and thank you. I feel set free. Amen.

Have a wonderful day in the Lord. I pray that you are blessed by this revelation, if any of you struggle similarly.

In God's immense love, Tami