In Chaos And Change

As I briefly mentioned in last week’s post, there’s a lot going on in my life right now, a lot of things that I can’t control. Which is difficult for me. When I’m in control, I feel safe. I know what I need to do to get the outcome that I want. Most things in life aren’t like that though.

But knowing with my mind that God’s ways are better and His thoughts higher than mine (Isaiah 55:8) doesn’t always change how I feel about a situation. It’s often hard to accept the truth with my heart, because my feelings are telling me something other than the truth.

So, if situations in my life are out of my control, and knowing with my heart what the truth is can often be difficult, what am I supposed to do? I’m glad you asked. Well, you didn’t technically ask me, but maybe you were thinking that. And if you weren’t, you are now. 😉

In the overwhelming moments, this is what God has been gently showing me and reminding me. The first thing is something very simple, but can radically change my mindset, if I choose to let it. And it’s the fact that because I’m alive and breathing, God has helped me get through/survive every single day of my life.

I’ve questioned Him, I’ve been angry with Him, I’ve been hurt by others, and I’ve hurt other people. But He has never left me. Through the hard times, He has strengthened my trust in Him. So, in the unknowns or the stressful situations, when we wonder how we’re going to keep going, we can go to Him and let Him remind us that He isn’t going anywhere and let him strengthen us for whatever comes next in life.

The second thing I want to share is that it’s ok to process the things that happen in life. We’re human. But sometimes, as crazy as it sounds, I think I forget that. I think I can forget that I’m not invincible, that I need to slow down and try to understand what is going on around me, so that I can then pray and ask God what He might be trying to teach me through it. And also, what my part in it all is. If there are people that I need to reach out to or encourage or serve.

And lastly, something more practical that my mom has encouraged me to do over the years and that I’m learning to do myself when I notice myself focusing on the hard or negative things – writing down the blessings or good things I see in my life. Saying those things out loud can still help, but I’ve found that writing them down on paper or in a journal helps me be able to look over them later and be reminded of big or small blessings that God has given me. It’s helped me see that He cares about the little things that I sometimes think are too small for Him. It’s shown me that He is working in my life, that He does care about me, and that He is growing me.

None of these things, in and of themselves, can change the chaotic or stressful situations I go through, but I’ve seen them change my perspective on things. I’ve seen them clear the fog of worry and shown me even just one thing I can do to move forward and not stay stuck in paralysis.

Gods got us, friends. We can hold onto Him. He will never let us go.

I hope you have a fabulous rest of your day! Don’t forget, Jesus loves you! 😊

Hannah