Did you know that when someone is choking, they often hide in a bathroom?

I learned this in First Aid and CPR training classes. People will actually excuse themselves from a group, coughing, and hide in a bathroom stall to try and figure it out themselves.

They’re too embarrassed to admit they’re choking and ask for help. So they die in their hiding place.

If you see someone walk into a bathroom coughing, either go in after them and offer to help or (if that person is the opposite gender) ask someone else to follow them in and offer to help.

Depression

On Monday I was talking about this phenomenon with a friend and suddenly realized that depression is similar.

Community is hard when you’re depressed. But community is vital when you’re depressed.

It can be embarrassing to admit, embarrassing to ask for help, but we can’t let that stop us from community.

It can be embarrassing to admit, embarrassing to ask for help, but we can’t let that stop us.

Depression wasn’t part of the original plan. 

Whether it’s attacking your mind or your chemical balance, depression didn’t exist before the fall of mankind.

Belonging WAS part of the original plan. In fact, it’s one of the first things God said about humanity. 

God’s Guide to Being Human 101: “it is not good to be alone.”

My story

I used to cry every night.

I used to fantasize about sitting alone in a dark room and staring at a blank wall.

I used to feel like everything good in me had been used up, and I was just left with the dregs.

Thank God that’s not my story anymore.

What about depression?

Going places and doing things can be hard in a depressed season. It feels like a lot. 

You don’t need to do everything.

I’m not here to tell anyone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but there is one person that you need to have an honest conversation with; God.

• You know who’s pulled me from the grip of shadowy lies over and over again? God. 
• You know who decides what’s true? God. 
• You know who’s so incredibly kind to me? God. 
• You know who gives my life purpose? God. 
• You know who loves me deeper than anyone else in the world? God.

He saves us. He saves us from more than just sin. A real, honest-to-goodness friendship with God saves us over and over again from so many different things.

We can’t get through life without Him. And He doesn’t want us to. 

He’s waiting with open arms, no matter what we’ve done, no matter what we feel we deserve, no matter what holds us back. He’s waiting. He’s powerful enough to draw you to Him right now. 

Just ask.