It has been a tough couple of months for us at RED WINE. In August 2013, my oldest brother went home to be with the LORD. It was unexpected and a shock. And then just last week, one of my closest friends passed away, also unexpectedly. This one really hit hard. He was a spiritual covering for many people and devout and a sincere friend.
I know this holiday can be very hard for some people to get through. Some of you have lost loved ones, friends and family and need encouragement. Well, we at RED WINE want to help encourage and help you through the tough times. This was one of the reasons why we created RW. I uploaded an article that I believe will bless you.
The person who wrote this is a personal friend and assistant to me. I was there when she was in her darkest moments. Her story is below.
He knew me. He knew my every want and need. He knew how to get me. He knew that I would be looking for love in all the wrong places and with all the wrong people. He sat there looking, waiting, ready to make His move. Like the lioness watching her cub playing and making mistakes He waited on me. Other men came and went they couldn't handle my pain but He remained. He watched me grow tired of the searching in all the wrong places. Finally, He reintroduced Himself to me. He chose me to be His and He did what no one else could do. He got rid of my depression.
In the emergency room I sat in the hall - way being watched by a police officer. I came into the hospital voluntarily. I was cry - ing, angry as hell, and utterly morose. I was the center of my universe and no one else. Finally, I was sick of it and I went to the hos - pital to get help. The triage nurse asked me if I was suicidal and I told her no homicidal. I wanted a pill or something that would take my mind off the nothingness that I was feeling. I could not pray for myself and I would lie in my bed and cry for what seemed like hours. It felt like it was never ending. This torture had been going on in my life for years hiding and stealing from me.
They decided to keep me for observation for 72 hours. I had never been in a place like this.
It was a hospital but yet the warmth of the other floors was void on this one. The bed was low and hard.
I remember it being really cold and everyone was sleeping when I arrived. Those three days are a blur.
They talked to me and gave me medication. I felt as numb as I did when I first came in.I remember other faces of despair sitting,walking, and standing around. No one en-gaged me in conversation and nor did I. We were there for the same reason something was wrong and we needed someone to fix it.I left there not fixed.
Those three days precipitated a change that I could not see until later. I took the pills against God’s advice. I thought that I would hurt someone if I didn't get something to calm me down so I went against my Creator. My hair began to fall out and over the course of time my memory which was not great began to get worse. This time I could talk to God again. Before this I was so depressed that all I could do was call out the name of Jesus. I did not ask Him anything I just cried. While I was crying people who I love and loved me were below me praying for me. Slowly after my leaving the hospital I began to talk with God again. My prayerlife returned. I stopped taking the pills and began to trust and rely more on Him. Every day was a victory because I woke up with the hope of a new day. I did not want to stay a sleep anymore but I arose knowing that between the darkness of one night and the dawn of a new day He came and set me free.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 121 million people worldwide have some form
of depression, although less than 25 percent have access to effective treatment [source: WHO]. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 14.8 million adult Americans experience clinical depression in any given year -- or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population over 18 [source:NIH Depressive].
( Read this story, August RED WINE)
