Currently in my church we have been talking about the “wilderness” in our lives. Each week, a story from the Bible is used to illustrate a different wilderness that people faced and how they went through it. Today I want to touch on both the wilderness in my life and how depression could be considered a wilderness.
Depending on who you ask, wilderness can mean many things to many people. Basically, I have thought about wilderness mostly as something that happens outdoors. But, there is a deeper meaning, one that can involve a range of emotions and experiences. Wilderness can be a time of great uncertainty and anxiety. It can also be a time of confusion. On the other hand, wilderness can represent a time of great opportunity and positive change. It can also be a time of growth. Overall, what sticks out to me is how uncertain the wilderness can be – it’s getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and I think for most of us that is a big challenge.
In my own life, wilderness is definitely happening. I have some uncertainty about my career, my finances, and my health, and that is only the first three that I thought of while writing this. And, I wonder – has there ever been a time in my life that was completely certain? Is wilderness always present in our lives?
I also think that depression must be a particular type of wilderness. I can only imagine how uncertain and anxious a depression must be, and it almost has to be uncomfortable. I think that the wilderness of depression has to be tougher than the wilderness that many of us face, and it comes with even more challenges that I would not know how to describe here.
Have you ever thought about the “wilderness” in your life? What uncertainties are you currently facing? Have you always had times of uncertainty in your life?