When I think about my story, I can't help but smile. I don't smile because it was easy or because I somehow escaped the terrible burden of the shadow of depression or the reckless anxiety that results from thoughts of suicide. I felt the whole of it. And it hurt. It hurt deeply.
I don’t think anyone can quite express the entirety of the pain, the loneliness, the sheer hopelessness, and the intense feelings of worthlessness that make up what we know as “depression.” There is no way to describe what it feels like to hurt so deeply that it seems like the only option is to end it all. I know that pain well—all too well.
But my story doesn’t end here, and that is why I began this by saying that I can smile. I can smile because I found hope. There is hope, and you can find it too. A bit of hope comes from opening up and letting others in—from talking with trustworthy people about what you’ve been thinking and feeling and from letting them love you and walk with you through it. But infinite hope comes from an answer that’s been around for ages—it comes from Jesus.
My aim here is not to shove the Gospel down your throat. I aim only to share my story. I struggled with depression. I wrestled with thoughts of suicide. But when I found Christ, everything changed. In Him, I was wanted. I was safe. I realized that all the negative thoughts were not true in the least. I traded the depression for His joy.
For this reason alone, when I think about my story, I can’t help but smile. Jesus Christ is hope. He is hope for me—and He can be hope for you too. Turn your eyes to Him, and He will run to you with open arms. You are wanted. You are loved. In Him, you can be free.
- Miranda Dupree
I don’t think anyone can quite express the entirety of the pain, the loneliness, the sheer hopelessness, and the intense feelings of worthlessness that make up what we know as “depression.” There is no way to describe what it feels like to hurt so deeply that it seems like the only option is to end it all. I know that pain well—all too well.
But my story doesn’t end here, and that is why I began this by saying that I can smile. I can smile because I found hope. There is hope, and you can find it too. A bit of hope comes from opening up and letting others in—from talking with trustworthy people about what you’ve been thinking and feeling and from letting them love you and walk with you through it. But infinite hope comes from an answer that’s been around for ages—it comes from Jesus.
My aim here is not to shove the Gospel down your throat. I aim only to share my story. I struggled with depression. I wrestled with thoughts of suicide. But when I found Christ, everything changed. In Him, I was wanted. I was safe. I realized that all the negative thoughts were not true in the least. I traded the depression for His joy.
For this reason alone, when I think about my story, I can’t help but smile. Jesus Christ is hope. He is hope for me—and He can be hope for you too. Turn your eyes to Him, and He will run to you with open arms. You are wanted. You are loved. In Him, you can be free.
- Miranda Dupree