Some of the bestselling books on the market today are those that focus on the purpose and significance of our lives. At some point in their life journeys, most people ask themselves "Why am I here?" There seems to be a deep-seated need in each of our hearts to be useful and productive. And that is true whether we are the CEO of a multibillion-dollar corporation or a stay-at-home parent raising kids, whether we're on top of the world or trying to find our way through a dark cloud of difficult circumstances.
 Hal Haralson is a man whose highs and lows were only experienced at their extremes. As a pastor, he struggled with manic depression, and found himself increasingly unable to fulfill his ministerial duties. Sometimes he would go to work, tell his secretary not to disturb him, and then sit in a dark closet for the entire day. After years of wandering in a fog of emotional darkness, he was finally able to get the help he needed, and achieved some stability in his disposition. He felt strongly, though, that God did not want him to return to vocational ministry. Instead he had to find a career, where, in his words "my mental illness would not be a handicap." So he became an attorney.
 As a country lawyer, he was able to minister to people whom he never would have met as a preacher. And because of the emotional struggles that he had experienced, his ability to empathize with these suffering souls was

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