I woke up the other day feeling cruddy. It was a rainy, dreary day, my husband had a test at the hospital (which turned out to be fine), and I was awake during the night; yuk. Depression is not something I have struggled with, but some days are discouraging before they even start.
Have you had days like that?
What do you do when you wake up feeling down?
Here’s what I did. I asked God why I was feeling this way. I found myself paraphrasing Psalm 42 by asking God why my soul was so downcast. Why was it so disturbed within me?
After looking up the passage about downcast souls and doing a little research, I learned that Psalms 42 and 43 together make up one prayer, and Psalm 42 begins with a longing for God.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (Ps. 42:1)
Most days – active, normal, busy days – I don’t think of these words. It’s on days when I’m fighting discouragement or a bad attitude that my soul pants for God. When I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I need God. I pant for God.
Twice in Psalm 42 and at the end of Psalm 43 this question is asked:
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:5, 11; Psalm 43:5)
The Psalmist never gets an answer to why his soul is downcast, and I usually don’t either. I’d like to know. Is it the weather? Am I stuffing some anxiety or anger or stress that I need to deal with? Have I lost connection with God?
The Psalmist doesn’t know why his soul is downcast, but he seems to know what to do about it.
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you… (Ps. 42:6)
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Ps. 42:5,11; Ps. 43:5)
Maybe it’s more important to put my hope in God when I’m feeling gloomy than it is to know why I’m having a cruddy day. Perhaps praise for God is the starting point for an adjusted mindset.
How would I turn my downcast attitude more upward?
It stopped raining for about an hour, and it was 60 degrees in February in Chicago, so I decided to risk a walk. I do my best praying while I’m walking. As I remembered who God is and what he has done, I felt the gaze of my soul rise a little. I began to pray for family and friends, and it rose a bit higher. God heard everything from praise to thanksgiving to complaints to random prayer requests. I felt better.
It started raining again, but not before my thinking had been adjusted to look to God instead of at myself. It still wasn’t the greatest of days, but my hope was in God, and I praised him. What else could I do?
What do you do to improve your attitude on a cruddy day?
Please note that I am not suggesting that clinical depression can be fixed simply by focusing on God. That is a fallacy. I’m describing what worked for me on a recent lousy day.
Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash
Connecting Dots...to God 
Wonderful! “I felt the gaze of my soul rise a little” is such a beautiful image I will hold onto. I love that you use the word “cruddy” which I haven’t heard for years but which is such a perfect word for those days. What do I do on those days? Definitely prayer and getting outside for a walk or even shoveling the snow 😉 I also love to journal my blessings along with those cruddy feelings and once I see that on paper, I usually get some perspective. Thanks for the encouragement!
Thanks Beth – and only another writer would comment on the word “cruddy!” Glad you liked it!
At our best, we are weak, flawed believers who desperately need the Lord. So I have to spend time each morning, praising and worshipping the One who is my strength. If I miss one day, grace covers me, but if I may miss two days in a row, look out!
Good words Larry! You are so right that after a few days without purposefully spending time with God, it’s trouble.
Judy, this is an excellent post and reminder of how we can and must train our minds to dwell on the right things. This doesn’t mean denial of our struggles but a proper ordering of our thoughts. Thanks for your wise words!
Some days it’s easier than others to order my thoughts properly, but I guess that’s just the human struggle. I like the way you put that thought – “doesn’t mean denial of our struggles but a proper ordering of our thoughts.” Thank you, Carol!
Thanks Judy. I have days like that especially low pressure rainy cloudy days. Thanks for reminding me of a good remedy
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one!
I can totally relate to how you felt! I knew my focus need d to shift as well!
Helen – you always seem to be in a fabulous mood! Being around you cheers me up!