During a long Chicago winter in 1995, I attended a Bible study for young moms. The leader was a woman named Joan (pseudonym), a seasoned follower of Jesus, probably in her 60s, her nest long empty. I recall that her make up was perfect and she wore bright colored, impeccably tailored suits that contrasted the casual setting of a church basement and the long faces of bedraggled mothers who hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in who knows how long.
To an outsider, Joan’s life seemed perfect. But gradually she began to share her struggles – her husband struggled with an alcohol addiction and she with bouts of depression. She was the first Christian I encountered who was honest about mental health. She cradled her Bible as a life line and encouraged us to do the same. Joan would say, “One anecdote for depression is turning to the book of Philippians, chapter four. When you feel defeated, read it again and again. Commit it to memory.”
I subsequently moved churches and lost track of Joan, but her advice stuck. Philippians 4 offers these words to lift our spirits — written by Paul, ironically from a prison cell.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
When unchecked negative thought patterns find their ridged pathways, God calls us to turn our eyes outward instead of inward. We are to leave our requests with the Lord of all creation, and seek truth and beauty, nobility and contentment.
When we choose to do so (for it is an intentional mind shift), we just might discover joy that lies in the corners of our lives – even amid the clamor of dire headlines and heart wrenching images that never abate.
So, as we thinketh… so we are-eth.
Will we choose to look outward at a bird, a leaf, a cloud? Will we marvel at a toddler or laugh with a friend?
The God of creation wait-eth.
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. (NKJV)
Shadows and Shelters 
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