From Couch to Couch
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South Goodlett St. in Memphis is an exhibit of autumn color. The yellows and golds of a southern fall perfectly combine with crisp air that carries with it the intuitive movement towards football and toddies. Fall leaves are a peculiar thing. They hold so much life and present a mosaic of created intention and yet their colors changing only signifies that the journey has begun to the moment when their color fades, their moisture will dry, and they will be sent to the ground to find they no longer hold the gaze of admiring eyes. Instead, they are fodder to be raked, bagged, and swept away. As I drove home to my little green house in the fall of 2011 it became clear that all the leaves of color had fallen off of me, and I was beginning to hope that God’s cosmic rake would swoop down and take me away. I was a few months into a deep depression, and as winter closed in, the severity of the depression closed in with it.
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About the Book
In the winter of 2011, author Jamie Trussell found himself on his roommate’s couch, asking God to take him. Through his battle with depression, Jamie learned of the tangible power that a ministry of presence holds for someone’s healing, and now he seeks to offer hope and insight to those who suffer from depression or walk alongside those who do. In From Couch to Couch, Jamie traces his own journey through the darkness of depression and explores the guidance that brought him healing. Often, the simple act of being physically present with someone battling depression can help them begin their journey toward wholeness. When we are present with others, we serve as a reminder of God being present with us in a fellowship that is unbroken, even when everything inside of us seems shattered. Mental health does not discriminate. It is an equal-opportunity afflicter that continues to statistically affect our culture at an increasing rate. We can all sit with others and watch as God uses the power of presence to usher in healing and hope.
About the Author
Jamie Trussell holds degrees from Auburn University and Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. He has more than twenty years of ministry experience and currently serves with Downline Ministries based in Memphis, Tennessee, and as the lead pastor of Redeemer Dripping Springs. He lives with his wife, Shana, and their four children in the Austin area.