My plans were foiled. My productivity tanked – all the plans I had for tasks to be achieved dissolved into the bed sheet like the dew beads from my fever.

One day rolled into two without much concern. But by the end of a week of illness which worsened by the day, not only had my health deteriorated, but my spirits as well. My frustration peeked as pain throbbed and tears spilled from my eyes.

My mind filled with self-defeating thoughts:

  • I felt like a failure.
  • I wasted a week and had nothing to show for it.
  • Another week of my life was gone that I’ll never have again.
  • Another week gone and no closer to completing my project by deadline.

The thought that concerned me most? You’ve been through this and clearly you didn’t learn your lesson!

The lesson I feared I hadn’t learned? To listen to my body, rest when it needed it, and trust God to redeem the time.

Several years ago I became frightfully ill. I had pushed my body to the limit and not heeded the warnings that it needed a rest until it spiraled downward leaving me with no choice but to rest and recover.

This time I could accept a day or two of being side-lined, and even tried to give in to the doctor’s recommendation to rest. The difficult part was accepting that I was not in control, and tasks were not getting completed that I had planned on finishing. 

As I cried out to God in my tears, my chest heaved in pain as I came to the revelation that in ourselves we can do nothing of worth anyway. It was time to release the death grip of control on my schedule, on my plans and surrender to His better way.

What do you need to release to God today?

Because of Him,

#HopePrevails!

Dr. B

 

(If you have a question you’d like Dr. B to answer, contact her here now. Your name and identity will be kept confidential.)

Contact

A short brief about Hope Prevails.

Hope Prevails
Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression
Dr. Michelle Bengtson

Speaking from personal and professional experience, a neuropsychologist unpacks what depression is, shows how it affects us spiritually, and offers hope for living the abundant life.

Neuropsychologist Offers Hope to Those Struggling with Depression
-By 2020, depression will be our greatest epidemic worldwide

  • An estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer from some form of depression
  • As with the bestselling My Stroke of Insight, the author experienced the same condition she treats
  • Helpful features include personal stories, biblical truths, prayers, and music recommendations

Hope Prevails Book cover vertical 536

In Hope Prevails, Dr. Bengtson writes with deep compassion and empathy, blending her extensive training and faith, to offer readers a hope that is grounded in God’s love and grace. She helps readers understand what depression is, how it affects them spiritually, and what, by God’s grace, it cannot do. The result is a treatment plan that addresses the whole person—not just chemical imbalances in the brain.

For those who struggle with depression and those that want to help them, Hope Prevails offers real hope for the future.

Hope Prevails is available now wherever books are sold. To find out more, see: https://drmichellebengtson.com/hope-prevails-book/.

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