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Several years ago when I was in college, one of my classes was Business Communications. One day, the professor announced that we were going to have to present a five minute speech the next day. That didn’t give us much time to prepare for it. It was extremely hard on me because at that time I wasn’t talking to people or looking them in the eye.
I was very anxious that night because I couldn’t think of anything to say. I wasn’t walking with Jesus at that time, but I felt that I should share something from my heart. The only topic that I was confident about sharing was depression because I had lived it for so many years and it definitely would be from my heart.
The next morning I took a blanket to class and everyone asked me why I had brought it because nobody else had brought anything to illustrate their speeches. I knew from personal experience that words mean nothing unless you can back it up with actions. When it was my turn to speak, I shut off the lights, went to the podium and covered it with the blanket, left the room and closed the door.
I waited for a few minutes until I was sure that everyone was wondering what was going to happen. I opened the door, and still leaving the lights off, crawled behind the podium and said with a loud voice “Doesn’t anybody care if I live or die” You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I turned on the lights and began to speak from my heart.
I told them without going into details that I had been confined to mental hospitals for many years off and on for severe depression. I told them that I really had believed that no one loved me, and that no one cared if I lived or died. Then, I told them about the day I cried out to Jesus from under the bed and said, “If You could possibly love me and if You will get me out of this place, I will serve You for the rest of my life as long as You will help me.”
While I was speaking, I walked up to several of the students in the room and placed my hand on their shoulder and looked them in the eye and told them “Jesus Loves you and cares about you”. I told them that there was nothing as urgent and important in life as loving one another.
I sometimes would choke up while speaking and my voice would get very low so that it was difficult to hear me talking. After class was over, several of the students thanked me and said that I had courage to share about my life. One student came up to me and said something that is stamped on my heart that I will never forget. She said, “I didn’t know anybody else could understand how I feel. Do you think Jesus could love me?” I told her that if Jesus could love me as rotten as I was, He can love anybody.
Even though I made some mistakes in my speech according to the textbook, my professor gave me an “A” for the speech because he said that he like how I moved around the room and made it personal. He said, “I am impressed with your courage to share from your heart.”
Yes, I understand when someone is hurting because I have experienced a crippling and devastating depression. However, nobody understands like Jesus! He sees into the hidden corners of our hearts and sees the things that we hide from our spouses, children, parents, siblings, loved ones and friends. It doesn’t matter if we deny even to ourselves that nothing is wrong, Jesus sees and His Heart is full of compassion for us.
If you are hurting today, go to Jesus and tell Him you are hurting. He knows but He wants you to come to Him like a child would go to their parents. Then, share your burdens with someone you can trust; someone who will not judge you or try to fix you. It is not our job or responsibility to fix someone, that is God’s job and responsibility. We are to love people to Jesus by our hugs, our words and the way we live our lives.
If you don’t know Jesus, the Saviour of the world, there is no better time than right now to get acquainted with Him. You can be saved and not know Him. Do you know what makes Him sad and what makes Him happy? How often do you talk to Him during the day? Do you laugh with Him and cry with Him? Do you love Him?