Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Things Worse Than Depression


Yes, there are things (many?) worse than depression. I'm experiencing one of those right now. Sunday, minutes after I awakened, I began to sneeze uncontrollably. One after another after another. Teresa covered her ears and the dog started to bark. My sneezes are of the Olympic variety. If they ever form a team of sneezers, I'm sure that they will make me captain. And when the dust has settled, I will wear the gold.


If I don't catch my sneezes in a towel or something durable, I'm likely to blow a hole in the sheet rock. I sneezed outside one time and the tornado sirens went off. It's no fun being a champion sneezer. It's hard to find people brave enough to be your friend.


As you probably have guessed, I have a bad cold. Three days have passed, and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. Some twisted person has called this the "common" cold. It's only common if someone else has it, but if it is yours, then it's uncommonly bad.


As I reclined in bed last night, I contemplated the meaning of it all. Now, I know that God has a purpose for everything that He created. I don't always see the purpose, but that doesn't change the fact that God has His reasons. Seriously, why did He have to bring into being the leeches and mosquitoes and chicks and tiggers? Some would say that we could also do without snakes and spiders and rats. Where can I find meaning in all of this?


I don't know. (Three of the most important words in the world.) What I pondered was the question of why the Creator created the "common" cold. Great advances have been made in science and in the treatment of cancer and diabetes and heart disease, but we have failed to find a cure for the cold. Why is that?


One possible answer has come to me. Maybe God created the cold to keep us humble. No matter how beautiful or strong or intelligent or rich or powerful you are, you still have no control over a cold. You can't buy it away or wish it away or even pray it away. At some point, you have to be humbled by that. As it is written, "A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor (Proverbs 29:23)."


Some of us (maybe all) have to be broken so we can be mended. Pride is at the root of many of our problems. Pride creates a barrier between us and God. I believe that throughout the history of mankind, more wars have been fought because of pride that any other reason. Maybe the common cold is the Lord's form of biological warfare against all forms of pride. I don't know (three very important words).


I do know this. The common cold brings me low. It breaks me in ways that nothing else can. Truly, if I had to live with a cold for as many years as I've lived with depression, I would probably step in front of a bus. There are definitely things that are worse than depression. I thank God that my colds are of reasonably short duration. If I had to live with one for a very long time, I would certainly be...well...depressed.



["I'm so low, I could do a ten minute free-fall off the edge of a dime."]

5 comments:

Neva said...

Praying for your swift recovery

Peace
Neva

Anonymous said...

I have had this marathon sneezing sessions too. It started when I was in KY. Some said its the pollen out there, others said its the depression from my marriage there! And I left, and the sneezes disappeared! :) ... What I believed was that just before the sneezing fit, I am usually very sad, or very upset, or very angry. People can say "sinus" causes "annoyance" or "depression causes cold" ...

What finally really mattered is the solution! :) I realized, if I immediately go and lie down, I was perfectly fine!

The trick is understanding "histamine" and what it has to do with sneezing and sleeping! :) ...

The pyschologist may say, "staying calm" helps relives anxiety! Hey, whatever it is, it helps to stop doing everything and just lie down! Marathon halts! :) ...

best wishes from another marathon sneezer from on the other side of the world.

Stormy Joe Ward said...

Thanks for the tips. I am definitely in favor of stopping everything and taking a nap.

Anonymous said...

The causes that might lead a person to depression are varied and innumerable. The most unthought of reasons might also lead to depression in people. Recently a study concluded that women who give up on their religious activities for some or the other reason may run the risk of falling into depression. One way of fighting depression is actually to know it well. Going through this link might help you in tackling depression better http://www.xanax-effects.com/ .

Anonymous said...

It depends on how bad your depression is and cold and flu symptoms are worsened by depression so you get more sick than other people. If you had the cold for as long as you had the flu you would jump in front of a bus that is theoretical. So many people die because they cannot bear feel the pain anymore. Depression is a chronic disease its the worse thing anyone can go through there is nothing worse than the total lack of happiness, energy, motivation, and the many other symptoms of major depression.