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 S.I.M.P.L.E Living
Dealing
with disappointment
The art of encouragement
Feel great about yourself
Speak with
confidence
Searching
for satisfaction
Green with Envy
Create a space that inspires you
Celebrate who you are
You can be happy Today
Where can you
find Peace?
Change yourself to
change the world
Woman and
Self-Esteem
20Fun resolution
for a happier you
laughter is good for you |
Whether you have a child serving in the war in Iraq,
recently lost a loved one or have no way to pay the mortgage this month,
crisis takes many forms. Its impact is felt deeply. We feel helpless,
we feel sad, we feel overwhelmed. Some of us are in crisis right now, for
others, the images flashing across the TV screen are bringing up painful
memories from the past.
Shaky marriages, divorce, death, illness, accidents,
terrorist threats, war arouse in us a crisis response. What happens when
crisis or trauma impacts people's lives? How can we prepare and respond to
crisis? Marriage and family counsellor Lynette Hoy, stresses the
importance of differentiating between a problem and a crisis:
A problem is something you can do something
about. A problem is a situation presenting difficulty or uncertainty which
needs resolution.
A crisis of life is a highly volatile or
dangerous situation/emergency requiring immediate remedial action. A
crisis is usually something you can do nothing about. A crisis occurs when
a stressful life event overwhelms an individual's ability to cope
effectively in the face of a perceived challenge or threat.
Typically, individuals respond to a crisis with an
elevated stress reaction; mental confusion and overload and physical
symptoms such as a racing heart and high blood pressure. A crisis can
cause people to seek out God or to question their faith.
What are some practical interventions for coping
with crisis and fear?
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Share your story and your reactions. Begin to
process the grief.
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Seek help and resources within your church and
community or professional counseling if needed.
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Take care of yourself through exercise,
nutrition and relaxation.
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Surround yourself with family, friends and
support.
When there's no one to talk to, we can also pray.
When we don't know what to do next, we can pray. The What good will come
form praying? Why talk to God? Because he understands suffering -- not in
some distant cosmic way, but in the flesh. He suffered greatly during his
time on earth. He was innocent and died a cruel and horrible death. You
can talk to him because he cares about you and knows what you are going
through. The Bible describes him as a "man of sorrows acquainted with
grief" (Isaiah 53:3). He knew fear and anxiety, physical suffering,
hunger, cold, and sadness. He wept. He even questioned God.
We have a lot of questions
Why is my family struggling? Why isn't my husband here? Why is there evil
in the world? Why are we at war? We need answers and we need an
opportunity to ask these questions. God is not threatened by our
questions. The Bible is full of people of faith questioning God, and God
answered them.
Habakkuk, one of the books of the old testament recounts one man's
challenge to God. Habakkuk saw the world around him and asked God "how
long shall I cry and you will not hear?" He went on to ask "why do you
look on those who deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked
devours a person more righteous than he?"Sound familiar? How many times
have you asked the same questions, especially when someone else has what
you want?
God does answer Habakkuk. He tells him that in a world that doesn't always
make sense to us "the just shall live by faith" . What does that mean?
Faith is believing that God is big enough to bring some good out of what
is happening in Iraq and what is happening in your family. Living by faith
means waking up in the morning and saying "God, I have no idea what you
are doing. My world is a mess and it hurts. But I know you are there and
you say that you love me so I am going to get out of bed this morning and
see if today is the day that you make things right."
It is far too easy just to say "God loves you and everything is going
to be okay."
God does love you, very, very much, but there are things that have
happened that are not going to be okay. So many among us are grieving for
lost loved ones, or anxious for sons and daughters sent off to war, or
fighting private battles against illness or betrayal or finances. The days
can get very bleak and the nights offer no relief. Still, God is in
control so even in the middle of all of this there is a reason to hope.
There is a reason to believe that there will come a day when the ache
hurts a little less than it does today.
Why do bad things happen? I can't answer that, but I know this --
God is very real. He
loves us very much and the events that break our hearts
break his heart. When God created the world it was perfect and beautiful.
He created man and woman and gave them free will. Our choices brought sin
into the world. The perfect world he created was ruined, but God didn't
abandon us to our choices. He sent redemption in the form of his Son. He
sent a savior to bring us hope.
You can know peace tonight.
There is a line in an old hymn that says "Let there be peace in the world
and let it begin with me." Whether that means peace on a worldwide scale
or peace in your own hear, it can begin with you right now.
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