The Emo Slump

Situations change, our faith remains the same. At least, that's the note I'm ending on for today.

Today was an odd day. There would be a lot of people who would say that I shouldn't be so openly vulnerable, that I shouldn't tell you what I'm about to tell you, but I think I'm going to fly in the face of that right now.

I was told that grief was one of those ugly beasts that would continue to reveal itself at the strangest times. The past few weeks I've on an emotional and spiritual high. I was my old self again, leading, joking, and being cynical about everything. Today wasn't like that at all. Today was an "Emo Slump" day.

It's hard to say really what all started it. It was just strange. You see, I didn't wake up today at any decent time. I found myself feeling down and depressed, and I waking up this morning just wasn't high on my to-do list. Then again, neither was anything else. Everything I thought about was depressing. Nothing seemed like it would make me feel any better.

The worst thing about being depressed, and maybe you've experienced this before, is that you don't feel like doing anything and the things you do feel like doing often leave you more depressed. It's another one of those vicious cycles.

So I wish I could tell you I had a profound spiritual and Jesus-y moment that helped me bounce back. That would be lying. The truth is, I finally forced myself to the gym, puked twice, texted some great people, and came back home feeling worse about life. I was resigning myself to a wasted day when a good friend texted me to hang out. After that, I went on my Monday half-day retreat & hike, and I guess you could say God gave me a friendly reminder. I read this in James:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (1:12)

So I organized my thoughts, took some time to remember my dad, thought about how high of a calling I had to live for, and realized it just wasn't worth staying down. I had to persevere. I had to press on. That life thing just sounded too good to pass up.

I realize that's not how it works for everyone, but that's how I got out of the Emo Slump. I'm sure you've had a day like that (maybe it was even a week, a month or a year). I'd love to read your posts and comments about what you did and how you got through it.

Thanks again for taking the time to read, I hope you'll also take some time to write!