What also gets me through these heavy times is my
belief that the bad will eventually pass. Life is truly about moments. There
are good moments and there are bad moments. There are even good moments among
the bad moments. The trick is to look for those blessings. How easy it is to
get stuck in the muck and the mire of the negative emotions that weigh us down.
It is so easy to allow ourselves to get sucked into the quicksand of the
negative. It takes effort to grab the lifelines around us to pull ourselves out
of the morass and find the things in our lives that are worthy of the good
fight. For me, I know when I am at my lowest and I do not think that I can keep
up the fight, I remember what it says in Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in
Adonai will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings;
when they are running they won’t grow weary, when they are walking they won’t
get tired.” The Lord has never let me down in this regard.
For those of you who are feeling this heavy burden
in your hearts, you may be reading this and thinking that what I am saying is much
easier said than done. You may think that I am trivializing the hardships in
life. Please believe me when I say that is so not true. The issues with which
my family is currently dealing are very serious. This is how I approach things.
I have choices. I can spend every second of every day worrying and fretting,
which will not only do nothing to change the situations, but that constant
barrage of negative emotion would eventually take a toll on my mind, my body,
and my spirit. Rather than doing that to myself and rendering myself completely
useless to those who look to me for wisdom, guidance and support, I choose,
every moment of every day, to give my worries to the Lord. I have no control
over what is happening. I have to trust in the Lord, because I know He has a
plan and a purpose for every person who is suffering. I can’t always understand
His plans, and, to be honest, that is happening now, but I do trust in Him,
because He never wastes anything, not even trials and tribulations. We absolutely can trust in Him and have faith, even if we don't fully understand the plan. As it says in one of my favorite Scriptures, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6)
I would like to end with this. I really have no
magic words that will make all of your problems disappear. I may not even be
making you feel any better right now, but that is fine, because I do not have
that power. Just know that trials and tribulations can make you stronger and
wiser if you allow yourselves to learn from them. The pain you may be feeling
from whatever difficult circumstances you are currently facing will eventually
equip you to be able to help others who are facing similar trials. Also,
without pain and sadness, we could never fully appreciate the wonderful
blessings and joys in life. Pain keeps us from taking those things for granted.
I have said this before and I will say it again; when things are bad, just
trust that the bad will eventually pass and, when things are good, savor every moment and be thankful for what you are being
given. Finally, in your despair, just remember, this too shall pass. God bless!
