Photo taken by contributor Cheerios, a man who was diagnosed with Bipolar and Paranoid Schizophrenia at the age of 41. Cheerios works and does his best to function at a level that he considers to be normal.
About this photo: “I took this picture several years back. At the time it signified hope for me; hope that God was going to give me a brighter future. I was at a very stressful time in my life, that I feel triggered my mental illness acute episode.
As the years went on and I became mentally ill I realized what Psalms 23:4 talks about when it states the following,
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
That darkest valley was the deepest darkest delusional dimension of the mind where one loses their self as a rational human being and has a total loss of reality. Yet in the darkness, despair, and confusion, at a level deeper than my mind and embedded into my soul was my only light, a light of love; the warmth of God who kept me safe when I was exposed to the mentally ill hell of the mind.
Realizing that God was always there with me no matter how lost I was, was the hope that I was looking for, for all those years.”
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Broken Light Collective 
Beautiful image and so full of hope. Thank you so much for this.
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The photo is stunning.
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Great photo and story
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Great stuff, Cheerios!! . .
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beautiful! …and full of hope 🙂
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Hope for me, hope for you and hope for world!
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Thank you for this photo and your honest words.
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Glorious~Biblical
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Thank-you for the image and the words. I am going through my own dark valley right now and this really spoke to me.
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Reblogged this on Santa's Reindeer.
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Beautiful!!
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Stunning image
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Spectacular image! Thanks for sharing and reminding us that God is greater than our biggest struggle and we are never alone even in the valleys of life.
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beautiful. and the knowing that we are never alone.
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Spiritually uplifting, celestial rays of light. It sounds like your walk in faith and with God gives you the strength and support you need, to move through the challenges of mental illness. Thank you for sharing your story. Very inspirational!
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Wow rhat is so beautiful!!!
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God truly is our refuge, our strength, our hope, and a very present influence in every situation, from the darkest of times to the best of times. I cannot imagine my life without Him as I went through a period too of depression one time in my life. His constant presence in my life is what keeps me lifted up and encouraged when I need it the most, and also when I just want to thank Him, praise and worship Him, and glorify Him. Thank you for sharing your own story, and your beautiful photo.
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