I have lived with depression my whole adult life. I believe I inherited it from my father, who now, in retrospect, I believe lived with bipolar depression and was an alcoholic.  Being dealt this hand in life has given me many challenges.  I didn’t know what was wrong with me, I just knew something was wrong, when as a young adult, I felt life closing in on me instead of seeing what opportunities would lie ahead.  I was smart enough, though, to understand something was deeply wrong and so I sought the help of a psychiatrist and counselor when I was 25 years old.  With the help of medications and counseling, I have been able to have a successful life despite my illness.  But that isn’t to say that I haven’t had relapses and that I haven’t had to struggle with my illness.  But, what I would like to say, is that  there is hope.  And part of that hope for me has been my Christian faith, which has led me through my darkest hours.  I find my faith in Jesus Christ and my church family has helped me to see that we are not alone in our suffering, and that there is a loving and merciful God who understands our suffering. I am now 63 years old and for now, I have found my peace.  I have been married for 9 years, have family and friends who support me. To me, miracles do not have to be spontaneous, but they can happen as small steps we make each day to take care of ourselves and then one day, you realize that you have your stability and strength, and your faith has led you through to that  moment. That moment, that we all long for, peace of mind.