“I became a voracious reader of biographies. I found the first great victory most of them won was over themselves.” –Andy Andrews

It’s the dead of winter. The trees are empty, it’s been cold and rainy, the days are short with less daylight, and spring seems so far away. When the sun is shrouded with dark clouds and nights are long and cold, those feelings of depression can be so near.

Dreary winter days are good for book reading, so recently I reread some of Andy Andrews’ books. They give hope with a Christian lifestyle view. He writes fiction, inserting words of wisdom, often quoting from historical figures. In one of his books, I learned that some very famous people suffered from depression. According to Andrews, Winston Churchill’s depression often brought thoughts of suicide. He said this state of mind was like “the black dog,” that followed him.

Churchill describes his negative feelings as visiting “the valley of the shadow of death” where he was allowed to think and brood over his problems. In Andrews’ book, “The Final Summit,” Churchill says, “The black dog wasn’t always with me, wasn’t always in sight, but I grew to find that he was ever nearby. I learned to be on my guard. I never liked standing near the edge of a platform when an express train was passing through. I always stood far back and, if possible, got a pillar between the train and me. I wouldn’t allow myself to stand by the side of a ship and look down into the water. A second’s action would have ended everything.”

However, Churchill would not allow his feelings to destroy his life. He offered this wisdom: “We experience loneliness and gain humility. But then we learn to focus our thoughts on others and not weep for ourselves.” Churchill said, “I have long believed that there are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.”

Also, in “The Final Summit,” Abraham Lincoln admits that for him depression was a common state of mind until he learned that he could discipline himself to feel differently. It seems Lincoln believed that cheerfulness is a result of self-discipline. We have a choice, we can sleep, avoid people, brood, and think about how depressed we are. In doing so, we are feeding the thing that can destroy life.” Lincoln learned to walk instead of sleep. He learned to enjoy the company of certain people instead of brooding alone, and to read good books and listen to happy music, instead of reflecting sorrowfully on his feelings of depression.” He said, “Of course, you don’t feel like doing these things, but can you make yourself do what you don’t feel like doing? This is discipline.”

Another character in “The Final Summit” is King David. When David felt gloomy, he cried out to God. In the Book of Psalms, we hear his lamenting: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?” Later, his faith is restored, and he says, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” Psalm 40:1-2

The dead of winter is only a season, and spring always follows. Cry out to God, and wait,

“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come.” Song of Solomon 2:11-12