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Image by Stefano Corso via Flickr |
Strange
as it sounds, it’s a relief, really. I’ve come to recognize and accept
these physical manifestations as verification that a significant storm
has passed and that there
is smoother sailing just ahead.
And
that’s just the thing – storms happen. Just as we watch on grainy,
wobbling video as tornadoes and hurricanes whip through the land,
uprooting trees, overturning cars and
smashing homes into smithereens, they happen in our lives with the same
varying levels of intensity and destruction. Some storms are creatures
of our own making – a colliding of choices and words and actions, but many storms are random, unpredictable and suddenly hit
us between the eyes with no words, no actions, no nothing that we can
or could or should have done to stop it, avoid it, or make it go away.
The
details of my particular storm are unimportant. What
matters is how I navigated the storm. And, being freshly on the other
side, I’ve given some serious
thought to what helped in the midst of figuratively whipping winds and
crashing waves.
2. Friends. Let your friends know what is going on. I have a tendency to pull away when I'm in crisis. Don't. You need prayer and support, and who better to do that than your friends?
3. Cry. As I called a woman to let her know that I couldn't possibly make it to her meeting, her kind words, her perceptive heart had me bawling like a baby in about 20 seconds. It is okay to cry. It is okay to put down the mantle of "I've got this, I'm fine." for a few minutes and just let the tears fly. Just don't stay there. Have a good cry and then pick yourself up, dust off and keep moving forward.
4. Count blessings. I searched for the good in each day and made it a priority to thank the Lord for those good things. Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare is a wonderful way to keep your perspective balanced and your focus postive.
5. Scripture. Read the promises of God and tuck them into your heart. Tape scripture to your mirror, slip into into your purse, put it on the fridge - wherever it is that you will trip across it as you go about your daily activities.
Other suggestions for navigating storms? Leave them in the comments!
We are once again linking up with the lovely Holley Gerth today.
Hi Julie, sometimes take a walk and just Breathe. You can't handle the storm but God can.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing visiting from the linkup.
God bless
Ifeoma, thanks for visiting! I love your suggestion.
DeleteGreat list! With prayer comes trust that God has this thing you're facing. Whatever storm we're walking through, we can trust that God is walking through it with us and He has it and us in His hands.
ReplyDeleteKathryn, you are absolutely right! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteI love the list! I agree that praying for others truly takes the focus off of us and makes the storm more bearable. Job was healed, after all, when he prayed for his friends.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I couldn't agree more! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteThis is perfect! And I'm thrilled to be the recipient of some of your prayers. Thank you! I love you, friend. Glad the storm is calming down a bit.
ReplyDeleteLove you, Nancy! :)
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