Psalm 40 I put all my hope in the LORD. He leaned down to me; he listened to my cry for help. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of death, out of the mud and filth, and set my feet on solid rock. He steadied my legs. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise for our God.

As you know, I lost my baby sister on October 9th. We fought, argued and acted like sisters. It was an unexpected blow to my family and me. We were devastated. She left behind two children and three grandchildren. They all lived on the same six acres of land with my parents (in their own houses). She was a brilliant student but that came at a cost. She suffered from deep depression and turned to self-medicating herself. This was particularly easy because after she served in the U.S. Navy, she became a Registered Nurse. We did the best we could to turn her from that path but, like so many others, we were not successful.

I bring up these family secrets because I don’t think that it is unique to my family. I have told you all that depression runs in my family. We have had five close relatives who chose to end their lives by suicide. Depression is not something to be ashamed about; it is something to seek treatment for. Talking about it unashamedly and telling people that getting treatment is not showing personal weakness but personal strength is something that we should all be doing. Depression is treatable. So if you are feeling depressed, see your doctor, talk to someone, get treatment. You are a beloved child of God.