Life takes us by surprise.
Life oftentimes throws us a curve ball of adversity unexpectedly. I started out on my daily walk, blue skies and white fluffy clouds. At the farthest point from our house, it began to rain! I was astonished! I looked up at the sky wondering, “What the heck?,” “Where did this come from?” “I’m not ready for this.” “This isn’t right”.
Such is life….things happen quickly without any rhyme or reason. Adversity strikes out of nowhere without any announcement or warning. We look up to the “sky” seeking answers giving plausibility to our situations, but the silence is deafening.
If we only had a program, like at a sporting event or play, giving up the cast of characters and the time frames. But we never know who is coming in or out of our lives. We are never given any assurances of how long we will have our loving spouse, our good health, our precious children, our dependable jobs or our circle of supporting friends.
On our journeys of we “wander” and “wonder” along the way, looking to each other for help. I can offer 3 tools to use when life knocks you with the unexpected.
- Resist the guilt. Oftentimes people look for something in themselves to explain the “why”. I once had a priest who left the priesthood call me in despair. He had a car accident that proved fatal for a motorcyclist. He was sure that God was punishing him for leaving the priestly duties. I don’t believe that Father/Mother God is vengeful. God is love and no matter how bad the situation, God is there to support and love you through the crisis…not punish you. Guilt is no good reason for anything.
- Nurture yourself. Take the expectations and put them on the shelf. Do what you feel like doing. and not what should be done. Take a nap, eat a bowl of ice cream, cry, walk, sing, or whatever. Remember there is no time frame and no “right” way to deal with a certain situation. Each of us is unique and on our own paths. People will respect your journey.
- Hope. Never lose the hope that better days are ahead. Highs will always come down and lows will always rise. Day always follows night and light always shines after the darkness. Know you are loved beyond measure and the Divine Design will bring you what you need in a “heavenly” time schedule.
So when the clouds seem to gather sending you the unexpected, try to care for yourself with a loving heart. Remember what Mother Teresa said, “I know God will never give me anything that I can’t handle, but I wish He didn’t trust me so much”.
What other “tools” for dealing with stress of unexpected troubles do you use? Please comment and share.