From Perfect Storm to Perfect Time

Terminated.

It was like a rock that threatened to keep me pinned down under the rubble of mess I became after the landslide of unfortunate events.

Another label to add to those apparently common for concussion patients, but I could hardly swallow for myself –  anxiety, depression – and now, Terminated.

For about a month or two before the landslide, I had been working a lot of extra hours on a major project at work. I was still there when it got launched. Shortly thereafter was the accident.

I showed Mr. and Mrs. C the letter I received.  “I didn’t even know they could do this.” I sadly told my friends who had taken me into their home because I could hardly take care of myself.  Taking a shower alone was such a chore.  The small lamp Mr. C set up in the bathroom were kinder to my photosensitive eyes than the installed fluorescent lights.  I had to wear earplugs since the high frequencies, such as the water flowing out of the showerhead and the sound of the blow dryer, were like the screeching of nails against a chalkboard.  Everything was so fatiguing, I would sit down on the bathroom floor to stop and rest before getting dressed, and then again before blow drying my hair.

Terminated.

It was the last ingredient for the perfect storm and made it difficult to rest, the very thing I needed to recuperate.

It not only meant the end of a six-year employment, but also the end of health insurance coverage unless I opted in to continue with the highly expensive COBRA.

Or so I thought.

Even though it was hard to understand at the beginning, God knew exactly what He was doing.  As it turned out, the termination letter I received could not have come at a more perfect time.  It became the key that would get me the health coverage I needed that would stop my medical bills from piling up and help me get relief.  And as my situation lingered, I even found out that they would cover my rides to medical appointments so I didn’t have to keep bothering friends and worry about where to get the help I needed.

After being out for twelve weeks, there was still no telling how soon I’d be well enough to get back to work, so it was completely understandable that my employer had to let me go. The heartbreaking letter soon enough became a relief that I did not have to worry about hurrying up to get better so I can get back to work.  As I’ve been told numerous times, the brain and the body takes time to heal.  Rushing was only working against me.

I could tell you other reasons why this doom and gloom letter turned out to be a blessing, but it’s time to transition to you.

Have you ever received news that spelled doom and gloom, which turned out to be the best news for that time?

What Empathy Is and What It Is Not

English Lessons

I went hiking with a friend a few weeks ago and learned a lot about empathy. I learned a lot about it from myself, who was not being very empathetic. My friend was sharing a really hard thing with me and I kept chiming in with examples from my own life. Something deep down inside of me was saying, “Stop doing that. You’re not helping.” But I couldn’t. I just kept sharing my own stories, diminishing and quieting hers.

I really was trying to be a good friend. I was trying to be an empathetic friend, but what my friend really needed from me that day was to shut up and listen.

Empathy is a tricky thing. I used to think I was really good at it, but over the years I’ve realized I’m lacking in this area quite a bit. I’ve come across some incredibly empathetic people in the…

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How to Get From Here to There (Part 3)

We’re continuing our discussion on the AAA’s of how to get from here to there, wherever your there may be.  In Part 1, we’ve talked about making an assessment. In Part 2, we talked about accepting the fact that you need help. Now it’s time to ATTACK!

I know how life can be overwhelming… Overwhelming to the point of exhaustion when you’d hardly done anything physical.

For some of you, you wake up dreading the day ahead of you. You’ve made wrong decisions and you’re having a dilemma on how to fix them with the resulting consequences looming in the background.

Life may have thrown you a curve ball and you don’t know how to respond.

I’m not asking you to take on the world and conquer all your fears all at one go.

What I am suggesting is making ground one inch at a time.

In order to do this, you need to lay down your burdens and surrender them to Jesus. Make a determination to carry only those things that will help and not make life too heavy.

Now that’s easy to say, but hard to do for many of us, especially when you’re so used to taking care of things on your own. You want to have all the answers. You want to fix your own problems. You want to be in control.

What if I say that God has something better to give you in exchange?

He wants to give you the Holy Spirit.

While Jesus is our salvation, the Holy Spirit is the help we need to be able to face the challenges of life. He guides us into all truth. (John 16:13)

In fact, if you turn your focus from your problem to the Holy Spirit, He will give you strength to lay your burdens down and clarity as to what the next step should be for you.

Sometimes, these burdens have a way of creeping back onto your shoulders and you’ll just have to keep turning to the Holy Spirit and laying those burdens down.

Even the Holy Spirit knows that you can’t get it altogether at once. That’s why He doesn’t say, “Okay, I’ve told you what you need to do, so you’re on your own.” Rather, He is there to provide the strength for you to do what He is guiding you to do as long as you’re willing to follow His guidance.

When you fail and you repent and turn back to Him, He is there to bring you comfort and strength to get back up and try again.

With His strength, you can attack both the little and the big things, one inch at a time.

I pray that you would be filled with the Holy Spirit today and always. Amen.

Love,

Christine

P.S. Whether you are a new believer in Christ or have been one for a very long time, you constantly need the infilling of the Holy Spirit. To know more about the Holy Spirit and the power and strength He provides, I would recommend E. Stanley Jones’ devotional, The Way to Power and Poise.