Sharon,

We are made of spirit, body and mind, and an imbalance in any of them can 
cause problems. And it is best to address all three when any problem comes 
up. Depression is no different.  I agree when we pass on to the great by 
and by, we won't give two hoots about what we were like here. But I'm 
human, and I'm not in the great by and by, and whether I try to hide it or 
not, I have desires and wonderings about life here. The lame man at the 
gate went off dancing with joy when Peter and John gave him not silver or 
gold, but the Word of God. He was healed and darn glad of it. There is a 
reason why he was happy, because he wasn't where he was in life before. We 
can yes, be at peace with things. I don't want to give the impression I 
wake up everyday feeling bummed I am blind. I don't, do I get put out 
because I have to use speech for computers when others don't? Not most of 
the time when Jaws is working properly lol, , mostly I don't think about 
it. Would I like to see the face of my daughter who people tell me is a 
very beautiful girl? I'd give my left foot for that. And I'd give my right 
to look my wife deep in the eyes as well.  I was born with two eyes 
designed for looking at a beautiful piece of nature as well as for the 
protection of my family and it is not wrong for me to want them to work for 
that reason. There are times yes I would love to see more than anything 
else I could think of here on Earth. More than my relationship with god? 
No, of course not, but who says it has to be those choices? It isn't God in 
one corner and vision on the other. I see Jesus healing people, I see Peter 
and John healing people, the word  says pray for the sick and they shall be 
healed. Jesus said, how long must I be with you oh of little faith, and 
then laid his hands on the boy and he was healed of his convulsive 
seizures. Perhaps it does have to do with more faith as David said. We toss 
off the word of faith folks because they focus in one area only, but we 
ought not give up the fact it does take faith. Jesus made that pretty clear 
in his examples to us. We think we have faith and stand in it and expect 
the Word to work as it says, and it doesn't and we wonder why? Obviously 
the word is not in fault so it is something in me, or the like. Lack of 
faith, what I might do if I receive what I desire, or perhaps a life lesson 
I yet need to learn, I don't know. Whatever the case. I myself, and this is 
me, not my opinion of anyone else, myself, I can't give up on such overall, 
because it is the searching that is the real key and blessing as well along 
the journey. If I don't get healed ever in this life, yes in the life 
after, and I'll likely go to my grave searching for some biblical precept 
or other, healed or not healed, as I don't know all and won't know all yet 
I strive for it. To say that no Christian ought be depressed? Well, we are 
human. God never said he'd prevent us from things of this world, but he did 
say he'd be with us through it, to help us. To those who say we ought not 
be sick, depressed or the like because we are Christians haven't lived life 
long enough? I say  let patience work, and due to the fact we live in a 
fallen world, more than likely a challenge will present itself and then 
they will  be subject to their own ideals of faith. It is easy for someone 
not prone to, or put in a situation of depression by whatever means is the 
cause , chemical imbalance, emotional upset due to mind set, lies we 
believe about ourselves, things that happened to us and scarred us, 
whatever, it is easy for those to say you ought not be depressed, because 
they don't have to work through it. Same with blindness or any other thing. 
Wouldn't it be interesting if we all had to wear a sign on our foreheads 
that labeled our issues? There's a man with "diabetes" written on him. 
There's a woman with "thyroid condition" on her forehead. Years ago a 
preacher  when referring to false moves of god, and he said this in a faith 
movement church I was surprised, but when he was about to make an alter 
call, he  said "If we eliminate the catchers, we eliminate most of the 
fallers". I think such is the case with accusations of lack of faith, if 
everyone had to wear a label of what they are working through, anxiety, 
depression, diabetes, alcoholism, addiction, whatever, I think there'd be a 
whole lot less Pius accusations going on, and a whole lot more praying and 
pulling together.


Brad


At 09:40 PM 1/24/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>Brad,
>
>I'm learning that it's not a question of whether or not God will heal; It is
>only a question of when.  If you could see the big picture, as God does, it
>probably wouldn't matter to you as much.  If we are not healed in this life,
>we definately will be healed in the next.  In order for the blind man to be
>healed, he had to be blind first.  If he had not been blind in the first
>place, no one would see the miracle.  I have a friend, whom I think is one
>of those word-of-faith believers.  When I told her that I had experienced
>depression, she said that Christians should never be depressed.  I haven't
>given her a response to this.  Now that I think about it, since I'm learning
>how I can depend on god to keep me from falling, and the day may come in
>this life when I will no longer doubt my salvation, I can have a taste of
>the abundant life that Jesus spoke of, even though my bodily chemistry can
>get out of whack and affect me emotionally.  Someday that discomfort will
>all be over!
>
>sharon
>
>sharon

Brad

   You are richer today if you have laughed, given, or forgiven