Depression and faith

I just discovered a Web site that seems pretty intersting: explorefaith.org. It's tagline is "Spiritual guidance for anyone seeking a path to God". I think I qualify. Anyway, there is an article on the site called "How could depression lead to a richer spiritual life?" by Parker J. Palmer, Ph.D. The response is included below in its entirety:

I can answer this question only after the fact, because in the midst of severe clinical depression I have never felt anything redeeming about it, spiritually or otherwise. But when I emerge back into life, several things become clear. One is that the darkness did not kill me, which makes alldarknesses more bearable—and since darkness is an inevitable part of the cycle of spiritual life (as it is in the cycle of natural life) this is valuable knowledge. Two, depression has taught me that there is something in me far deeper and stronger and truer than my ego, my emotions, my intellect, or my will. All of these faculties have failed me in depression, and if they were all I had, I do not believe I would still be here to talk about the experience. Deeper down there is a soul, or true self, or "that of God in every person" that helps explain (for me, at least) where the real power of life resides. Three, the experience of emerging from a living hell makes the rest of one's life more precious, no matter how "ordinary" it may be. To know that life is a gift, and to be grateful for that gift, are keys to a spiritual life, keys that one is handed as depression yields to new life.

I was sick last week and wasn't able to eat much. At the tale end of the sickness, my wife and I went out for dinner and I had a turkey burger. The first bite was heavenly - but only because I had been eating white bread and white rice exclusively the prior four days. Sometimes you just take good things for granted and only truly value them once they've been taken away.