Trials WILL come; it’s just a matter of when.
Tears WILL fall; it’s just a matter of how long.
Your Heart will break; it’s just a matter of how many pieces.
I understand this isn’t spreading joy, but it IS truth.
We can boldly face another day with a little preparation; after all, it is just a matter of time before we face storms and trials.
I believe I can say for certain that each one of us will face the following things:
Uncertainty:
You don’t know what you’ll be facing. You don’t know what situations will arise that are beyond your control. You don’t know about job issues, medical bills and other things. You don’t know what you’ll be facing. Choose to focus on the facts, not the uncertainty. Look at the facts and allow that to help give you direction. Sometimes all it takes is looking at things from a different view point. Don’t allow your emotions to drive you. Emotions are a tricky beast and can have our minds full of fear and doubt. Even when facing uncertainty, choose to maintain a good attitude while fixing what you can and working around the rest.
Disappointment:
I wish that you didn’t have to face disappointments, but the truth is that you WILL face it. Prepare for it in advance by looking for the good in the disappointment. It’s an old saying, but still rings true today, look for the silver lining. It’s always easier to see the negative, but if we teach ourselves to see the positive, it will get easier to find through each disappointment. I’m not telling you to ignore your hardships, I’m simply instructing you to look beyond them at what treasure may be forming because of the hardship.
The positive things are there, you have to look for them!
Fear:
Fear will consume us. You’ll be so afraid to do anything, to make decisions or even just take the next step if you are not aware of just how consuming fear is. Set your fears aside and focus on the truth of what is going on. The truth is that YOU are strong and you will make it through this. The truth is that you have people that care about you and will help you through it. Focus on the truth! Find the resources that are available and see if those will lead to more resources. As things start to fall into place, you’ll notice the fears subsiding. Let me encourage you to step out into the unknown. When you do, you’ll feel the courage coursing through you and that will give you the ability to take the next step, and the next one and the next one.
Difficulties:
When you are facing difficulties, you don’t have to face them alone. There are people who have been where you are and they are willing to walk with you. There are people who have been where you are going, they will help you out!
When we face difficulties, we clam up and withdraw and then try and face them alone. This is the time that we need to reach out so that we don’t have to battle the depression alone. Find a friend to share your fears and difficulties with and divide the pain and in doing this, you will also double the joy you share.
When you are facing difficulties that lead to depression, may I suggest you pour yourself into “others.” Regardless of the finances, we can all make a difference for others and that act alone will help bring deep down joy that no one or nothing can steal from you.
Here are 50 Ways to make a difference without spending a penny. YOU can make a difference!
Sorrow:
Facing sorrow is not easy. When someone is struggling, spend time with them, chat with them until they laugh. It doesn’t take a special talent, lots of money or gifts galore. It only takes a willing heart. Be sensitive to others when sorrows arise. Don’t assume someone should be over the grief they are going through. Don’t assume someone shouldn’t be hurting “over that situation.” We all deal with grief, pain and sorrow differently. Be sensitive and kind to those facing sorrow. If you are in the midst of sorrow or grief, know that it’s ok. There is no right way to grieve. Sometimes writing out your feelings – the good, bad and ugly is a way of releasing them. Sometimes, it’s a matter of sharing them verbally or counseling. Some may even need medical help. Whatever your means of facing your sorrow, remember YOU have friends and family that will help you face them. Don’t withdraw and try to go it alone. That’s what WE are here for.
Regret:
This is the ONE thing we can choose NOT to face. Regret. Regret will break us. The guilt of regret will weigh our hearts down and beat us.
We all have made bad decisions.
We can learn from our bad choices, we can decide that yes… I did “that” but I will NOT allow myself to be in that situation again. Don’t let regret keep you from boldly making a change in your life. Don’t let guilt keep you down when you are capable of doing so much for you and your family. Don’t let regret win. You are strong enough to use it, learn from it and then beat it.
Think about this:
If we are living in the past and worried about the future, how can we be effective today?
It’s simple – – – We can’t. Choose NOT to regret. Put those past mistakes to good use by learning from them and sharing what you’ve learned with others.
Emptiness:
There are times that you’ll feel empty, alone and like you don’t matter. It’s going to happen, it is just a matter of when. When you face this, once again I have to insist that you go on fact instead of feelings. Feelings are so tricky and emotional roller coasters are not very fun.
Here are the facts:
- YOU Matter – Not only do you matter, but you matter a LOT. You are the world to someone!
- YOU Make a difference – in so many ways. You feel as though you do nothing special and you are nothing special, but THAT is what MAKES you special. No one can make a difference like YOU do. NO one!
- YOU will make if past this – and when you do, you’ll soar to new heights that you didn’t even know existed.
Use this time of empty feelings to focus on making a difference for others instead of dwelling on how you feel. It can be as little as giving your children their favorite cereal for dinner, coloring with them in their coloring books. It could be something like telling an older friend thank you for helping to shape our world into what it is today and taking some time to hear how they did it. It could be something like extending patience to the cashier that is experiencing one rude customer after another. Take your mind off of the emptiness that is flooding your heart and place your focus on those around you. You’ll soon find the emptiness filling up with amazing JOY.
Overwhelmed:
Even the calmest person I know will face times when they are overwhelmed. It’s at this point that you simply can’t afford to feel guilty for stopping and doing something for yourself.
STOP right here, pull yourself away from everything for a little bit. Go outside, stretch and take 5 minutes to soak up the outdoors. When you can, take an some additional time to just step away from all that is pulling at you.
If you have young children, it may need to be for 15-30 minutes after they’ve gone to bed, but STOP and do something for yourself.
It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just needs to be done and done without guilt.
Read
Write in your journal
Gaze out the window
Listen to the sound of the rain
Take a nap on the couch – set a timer so you don’t over sleep.
If you don’t pull yourself out of the situation for a little bit, it will only get worse.
How are you boldly facing tomorrow? What other tips would you share with others?
To Hear an audio version of this, please click below:
© 2012, Spreading Joy. All rights reserved.
This is wisdom that will help you through your trial. It would be wise to pay attention to it.
I agree with Harry’s comment above…. and i will follow this wisdom .. very helpful and timely post. Thank you, Marie for taing the time to sahre this with us.
WOW Powerful stuff…thank you (again) for your guidance and leadership…I love all the inspiring posts you put out here for all of us. Please know that you are always in my thoughts,prayers….thankyou for blessing me and making God smile.
May He Bless you and be with you and your family.
Love you
Tina
One thing that helps me the most with uncertaintity and fear is practicing gratitude. When you count your blessings and see all that God has done for you it will give your faith and comfort that he will continue doing the same in the future .
Chasing Joy recently posted..A Joyful Resolution!!!
@Harry & Sharri – Thank you! you are such a blessing!!
@Tina thank you for the prayers. Many of my articles are reminders to myself too.
@Chasing Joy – thank you – you are a blessing on twitter as well. Your very name reminds us to keep after the joy that is before us. Gratitude is such a powerful tool in this day and age we live!
Thank you guys for encouraging me and taking the time to tell me that this was a help/blessing to you.
big {{HUGS}}
Marie
@spreadingJOY
Thank you for the blessed reminders which we all need from time to time.
Mark recently posted..Father, please do it again!
Hello Marie!
This is my first time here and I must say I’ve been looking for a good quality inspirational sight like this. I found you by accident while doing a search on twitter under hash tag #inspirational. I clicked on your Twitter profile and clicked over to see what you were writing about.
I must say that I love the statement you made, “positive things are there, you have to look for them.” I agree. I too, believe that there is a silver lining in everything. We’re always going to face opposition in some form or another. Whether it’s uncertainty, fear, disappointment, sorrows, etc… as you mentioned above. By just thinking right thoughts ahead of time, we can prepare ourselves for it. I like to say, “prepare for the worst but hope for the best.”
When we pack our bag for a trip, we think up all the possible outfits we’ll need, “just-in-case.” We never know if we’ll get to the destination and need unexpected formal attire. We never know if the plane ride on the way over is going to be cold, so we’ll pack a little overthrow jacket. We never know if, when we get to the destination if we’ll need a pair of sneakers, a sweatshirt or a t-shirt. So we pack these things, “just-in-case.” (or at least I do)
In the same way, we have to apply that principal to life. We never know if, when we wake up in the morning, someone will say something to upset us. So we have to “HOPE for the BEST, but prepare for the worst.” We have to psyche ourselves up so that when it does happen we’re not thrown off. If something disappoints us along the journey, we have to make the decision ahead of time to not allow that disappointment to affect us negatively.
Thanks you so much for inspiring us and I look forward to your other articles. I will be back to support!
Jarrod
so much here Maria! I hardly know where to begin – I think to sum it up in difficulty – difficulty, and trial, and that includes sorrow, and being overwhelmed, and so much of what you wrote. And I’m reminded that in trial I need to look for treasure – because it’s there somewhere, every trial has to pass first through our Lord’s hands before it comes to us – even if it’s sent by the evil one. And sadness – there something in the sadness to grow from through the pain – all of this reminded me – never to waste pain – to learn, to always learn, through loss, through gain, through giving, through accepting. God bless you Maria, and thank you.
Craig recently posted..Love says thank you 1,000 times…in dark…especially in dark (#731-#741)
LOVE THIS!!!
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@Jarrod – thank you for your insight and encouragement! I love your site and am thankful for how you share so much with others! often we allow our circumstances and the unforeseen issues remove any joy that we had swirling around us, when we must simply just “move past it” and keep going.
thank you for caring for others, for inspiring and for being a Beacon for the Lord.
@Craig – thank you. while we are facing the sadness, issues and such – we forget that we are growing and becoming something more wonderful than what we are right now. it amazes me that so much good can come from so much pain.
@Angie – you bless me sweetie!! thank you for always supporting what we do here!
big {HUGS} of thanks to you guys!
@spreadingJOY
Maybe this will bless someone “going through it” ???
Refiner’s Fire
He sat by a fire of sevenfold heat
as He watched by the precious ore
And closer He leaned with a searching gaze
as He heated it more and more
He knew He had ore that could stand the test
and He wanted the finest gold
To mold as a crown for a King to wear
set with gems and with price untold
So He laid our gold in the burning fire
though we fain would have said Him “Nay”
And He watched the dross that we had not seen
as it melted and passed away
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright
but our eyes were so dim with tears
We saw but the fire – not the Master’s hand
and questioned Him with anxious fears
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow
as it mirrored a Form above
He bent o’er the fire though unseen by us
a look of ineffable love
Can we think it pleases His loving heart
to cause us but a moment’s pain
Ah No – But He saw through the present cross
the bliss of an eternal gain
So He waited there with a watchful eye
with a love that is strong and sure
His gold did not suffer a bit more heat
than was needed to make it pure
John Mark
Oh my, Marie, there is such wisdom poured out here and grace to heal the hurting. All of us can relate to the circumstances you have highlighted or we may know someone going through tough times right now. This is so instructive, positive and helpful. I love the emphasis on what we know to be true. Fact happens but truth supercedes facts. Our circumstances may feel overwhelming, but they never change the fact of God’s continual love, care and provision for us. As we lean hard on this truth then even fear has to beat a retreat. God’s grace is greater. His love is stronger. Our faith in Him and trust in His word enable us to live as Overcomers, no matter what we may be facing. Thank you so much for dealing with hard topics and giving us a joy-filled message throughout it all. Blessings and love, Joy xx 🙂
Joy Lenton recently posted..Girls just wanna have fun
I was just thinking about struggles – and how it helps to have others walk beside us. Thanks for this encouragement!