Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Sherry Hubright, Volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Georgia
Shared in Who Has the Last Word? Cutting through Satan’s Lies with the Truth of God’s Word, written by Michelle J. Goff

I was in a very dark place. There were battles on every front and I felt as though I was losing every battle. One day I decided I didn’t want to fight anymore. I was tired. I packed a bag and placed it in the trunk of my car while no one in my household was present. Later in the day I
announced I was running an errand when in actuality I was running away. I did not tell my husband or my closest friends where I was going. The truth is I did not know myself.

My first stop was the Grist Mill at Stone Mountain Park (Atlanta, Georgia). It was one of my favorite places to retreat and pray, and so I did. I stayed at the park for a couple of hours pleading with God for reprieve from the battle. While I was vigorously waving a white flag, it was as though it was waved in front of blind eyes. I was plummeting deeper into darkness.
It was decision time, but I did not like the choices I was giving myself. I decided the safest decision was to give myself more time away from every person and every responsibility. I sent a text to my husband telling him I was fine, but I still needed some time alone. He was very gracious. It was at that point I turned off my cell phone and I checked into a hotel. By the time I got to my room my voice mailbox had several messages from my husband and from one of my dearest friends. It was a couple of hours before I could listen to the messages and a while longer until I could respond. What words did I have to explain my behavior? None.

In their writings, both Oswald Chambers and C.S. Lewis describe something called the Dark Night of the Soul. They could write about it because it was their experience at one time or another in their own lives. It certainly describes my experience too. If you are like me you often equate darkness with evil and that does not bode well with this Christ-follower. The truth is even in my darkest moment, and in His silence, I sensed the presence of God or as I have since described it, the Shadow of God.

David paints the picture well in Psalm 23:

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, and he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for YOU ARE WITH ME; your rod and staff they comfort me.”

On that day several years ago, God had not abandoned me. Looking back now I can see He made incredible provision. In the valley, He gave me a quiet place to lie down, His presence, and His Word and Spirit to guide me out of the valley and to a much better place. His faithfulness then is all I need now to remind me that any valley-time I face is still proof of His love.

*****
What would Sherry’s Lie/Truth Chart look like?

Thank you, Sherry, for sharing your story! Together, we can give God the last word when assaulted by the lies compounded by depression.

From Psalm 91:

“He who dwells in the shelter (covering, hiding place) of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord: He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust… He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings will you find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day…”

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #depression #valleytime #lietruthchart #WhoHastheLastWord #guestwriter #blog