There he sat in a very dark room with his back against the wall. The only light that could be seen came through a small window. It was as if the world was closing in on him. Filled with loneliness, he displayed an array of emotions. He felt dejected, sad, fatigued, hopeless, afraid, and worthless. It began two weeks earlier. He noticed that as the days went by he found it increasingly difficult to get out bed in the morning. Not breaking his normal routine, he would go over to the scale to weigh himself. Each day the pounds faded away like a vapor! Family and friends called and came by to visit but he refused to answer the phone or to open the door. Separating himself from everyone else made it easier for him to sink deeper into a depression. Strange as it may seem, after a while the depression began to feel pretty good. He felt sorry for himself and wished that everyone else would too. He became so comfortable that he chose darkness over sunshine. In some ways, at least, depression is all about choosing the dark.

Sometimes it is our reaction to life’s circumstances and our core beliefs about the way life should be.

We have just transitioned from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season. While this is a joyous time of year, many suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). This is defined as a mild to severe form of depression that occurs during the fall and winter seasons which is the reason it is referred to as the “winter blues”.

However, there is a remedy for seasonal depression. Although the man had covered the window to drive out the light, his state of mind didn’t allow him to notice the glimmer of light that peaked underneath the door. So, regardless of how dark your life may seem there is always a way out. Light is so miraculous and mysterious; it’s almost impossible to define. The dictionary states that “light is that which makes it possible to see.”

When Jesus said that we are the light of the world, it means God has deposited His nature inside of us, and we are to let it radiate. It’s in there! We just need to allow it to shine. Darkness cannot drive away light; however, light drives out darkness. So, choose to be light!

There may be a hopeless individual in a dark room needing just a glimmer of light to bring them out of their depression.