There have been days that the only reason I got out of bed was to take care of Odin. Regardless of how I felt he needed me to be there for him. He needed me to be there for him the way that Jesus has always been there for me. It took me to submit to Jesus before he could lead me and it took Odin to submit to me before I could lead him.
Depression is a demon that never sleeps. People think you can keep it at bay with drugs and therapy, the truth is that unless you are physically and mentally intentional about fighting, the drugs and therapy alone will not work. Nobody and nothing can do it for you, not even Jesus. Jesus will not pull you up out of anything, he does not reach in, you have to reach out. When you just can’t do it anymore you basically have two choices, quit or submit. I don’t have to explain about what quitting means. Submitting means giving it all, 100% of it to the Lord because you alone cannot manage your life. You need to make a conscious decision every day to resubmit to the Lord.
It was several years into my dog training business before I realized that the Silent Loose Lead Walk that I do with every dog I work with including Odin is based on my walk with Christ. When I meet a dog for the first time I never chase them to get the lead on, I have the owner do that. The Lord will not chase you. He will be there when you are ready, no matter how long it takes. Once I have the lead in my hand I begin to lead the dog. Often the dog struggles by I remain calm and contestant you matter what we come upon. After just a few minutes the dog stops struggling because he realizes by submitting and walking close to me on a loose lead that there is no tension on his neck. To avoid tension he constantly looks at me to stay in the perfect spot, not behind me, not in front of me, but right next to me. From this position with little effort he can look at my reaction to everything we encounter instead of feeling the pressured to make bad decisions on his own and dealing with the consequences. The more we face together the more he learns to have faith in me and to trust me even in the worst situations. When you see me handling a dog I am always looking forward and tell my clients to do the same. My eyes are on the Lord that leads me and brings me peace and the dog is attached to me. They learn from my example. You have to focus on you are going, not where you came from.
The best advice I can give anyone suffering from depression is to establish a routine right away. Start small and include your dog. The reason is because most people will go out of there way to serve another before themselves. Set your alarm, swing your feet onto the floor as soon as the alarm goes off. Leave your phone alone for the first hour you are up. Greet your dog and the day. Take them out and feed them. Spend an hour in prayer and meditation (coffee is a bonus). As you do, pet your dog. This ritual is how I start my day everyday and it has made all the difference in the world. A positive first hour of the day with your dog and Jesus without any negativity is the least you can do for yourself.