Episode #321 — She’s a vocal powerhouse, with a voice honed at the dinner table growing up with 9 siblings. As Lydia Laird explains, if you can’t make yourself heard there, you may never get any food passed to you. Beautiful songs like “Hallelujah Even Here” and her latest, “I’ll Be Ok” are touching so many. But there’s a very special ministry that she’s discovered through speaking openly about a struggle that more are facing than ever before – mental health.
When Lydia made the move from her home in Texas to Nashville to really pursue music intensively, she dealt with profound ups and real downs as well. She takes us up to her moment of decision to look for help in her journey with depression.
“There was a point where I was working. I didn’t have my family here. I was pursuing what I believed God had called me to pursue – going, ‘God. I don’t understand why you called me here. I’m battling this depression. What’s wrong with me?’ And I was feeling guilty even thinking about getting on meds, going to counseling. I visited home, and I went fishing with my oldest brother, and he opened up to me and said, ‘Hey, I’ve gotten help for that kind of stuff. I struggled too.’”
“I had no idea. He goes, ‘Hey, Lydia. First of all, here’s my story. You’re not alone. Second of all, I’m going to ask you a question. Tell me if this is true, ‘I’m worthless without Jesus?’” And I was like, ‘Well yeah. That’s totally true.’ ‘Okay, what about this? ‘”I’m worthy because of Jesus.”‘ And I was like, ‘Well, yeah. That’s true too.’ He goes, ‘Cool. You’re kind of saying the same thing. But you’re staying focused on the negative. I want you to start walking into the “I’m worthy because of Jesus, and therefore I’m free. I don’t have to live in shame.”‘
It was a fishing expedition that reshaped so much.
“It encouraged me. I started going to counseling. I remember sitting in a doctor’s office, literally in tears. It was a Christian doctor. And I go, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve prayed. I’ve been in the word. I can’t shake this depression. And the doctor came over and hugged me. And she said, ‘Lydia, sometimes it has nothing to do with your spirituality. Sometimes it’s the fact that you’ve got a hormone imbalance in your brain, and you need some extra help. It’s time for you to fight that the right way.‘”
“And that was when I got freedom. And I got on medication that was not anything crazy, but it helped me. And by doing that, in a weird way – regardless of if it’s the answer for everyone – it showed me the gospel. God is not sitting here shaming me. I’m using the tools He gives. And knowing He’s going to walk with me all the way when I stumble. He’s gonna pick me up.”
Lydia Laird is the recording artist behind the hit song “Hallelujah Even Here”, the brand new single “I’ll Be Ok” a gifted storyteller, and an advocate for mental health.
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