Rising above the fog of depression and loss

By Contributor Josh Stephens
Fog.
Sometimes I feel like we walk in a fog. It’s not the normal type of fog though.

Sometimes the fog is a sheet of depression. Sometimes it’s one that follows and even precedes the loss of a loved one. Sometimes it’s pain of the past or fear of the future.

We’re all walking through something. The fog can paralyze us. We want to know we are not alone.

To me, the words spoken in Hebrews 13:5 bring peace. In it, the Lord says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God has never left. Even in the fog. Even in the pain, the depression, and heartache, God is still here. You are not alone.

God is here. And that’s all you need.

There will be people who will walk through the fog with you. Some will drift in for a while and then back out, journeying their own path through their own fog. We might not always know why they are leaving or where they are going, but what we can do is pray for them as they journey on.

And, even though they may leave, God is still here.

Every time I hear that, I find peace.

I find peace knowing when the journey is hard, God is still here and knows where I am going.

I find peace knowing when I am weak, God is strong.

I know when all hope feels lost, God is still here.

He is hope.

His presence brings comfort.

His presence brings strength.

His presence brings hope.

He is here, even when it seems as if everyone else has gone.