Walking with God through Depression in Motherhood
CHRISTINE M. CHAPPELL
© 2023 by Christine M. Chappell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—except for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (esv) are taken from the esv® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (niv) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Italics within Scripture quotations indicate emphasis added.
Appendix A first appeared on Risen Motherhood as “When Grief Becomes Dangerous (and What to Do about It),” April 17, 2023, https://www.risenmotherhood.com/articles/when-grief-becomes-dangerous-and-what-to-do-about-it. It has been adapted for this book.
Cover design by Jelena Mirkovic
ISBN: 978-1-62995-884-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-62995-885-9 (ePub)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
For my mother, Diane, and my husband, Brett
The darkness never could manage to separate
me from God’s faithful love,
nor from yours.
Foreword by Sarah Walton
Introduction: Starting Our Journey
1. Hopelessness: A Dangerous Fire
2. Weariness: The Feeling of Defeat
3. Sadness: Facing the Unfixable
4. Anger: When Life Feels Unfair
5. Anxiety: Searching for Certainty
6. Shame: Desperate to Be Different
7. Loneliness: A Painful Paradox
Appendix A: When Grief Becomes Dangerous—and What to Do about It
Appendix B: Prayers of Lament in Depression
“Some days, it feels so hard to breathe. Other days, I just wish my breath would stop coming.”
I sat across from my husband, trying to piece together words that might at least scratch the surface of my inner turmoil. But it was clear—as much as he wanted to understand, we were speaking different languages and looking at the world through completely different lenses. While my world was painted in black and white, his was painted in color. While mine was filled with distortions, his was filled with clarity. ...
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About Midnight Mercies: Walking with God through Depression in MotherhoodAre you a mother who feels stuck in depression? You’re not the only Christian woman who knows what this darkness is like. When feelings of hopelessness, weariness, sadness, anger, anxiety, shame, and loneliness feel impossible to bear, it can seem like God is nowhere to be found. But there’s more to the story than you can presently perceive. Biblical counselor Christine Chappell has walked these dark paths herself—and she wants to help you to see God’s heart for you more clearly as you endure sorrow and pain. As Christine recounts her own midnight journey through depression and explores stories of desperate sufferers who experienced God’s mercy in the Scriptures, she shows how God meets us in our despair and helps us toward his light—one step at a time. |
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