Saturday morning. The entire family is all curled up on the couch watching a movie, ironically enough, about the White House getting overthrown. The phone rings and I hear “Security Company…there has been a breech in the alarm system.” It was for my husband. 60 Seconds later, the peace of our home is interrupted as he scrambles to get dressed for the 30 minute drive to meet the police at his company. I am feverishly making a protein shake and coffee for him to take along. The kids want to go along to see the excitement so they are rushing around trying to find shoes and jackets. For 7-8 minutes, it is complete noise and chaos as everyone is scrambling. Then, quiet as the red truck drives away. This alarm is probably a false one, like the zillions of other times he has received the call. But what if this time, the alarm is real? I jump into the shower and contemplate the events of the past week. Several public shootings around the country, the funeral of one friend’s husband, and the grim news about the health of another cross my mind as the hot water flows and I begin to pray. I ponder this question:
What do we do when a real life alarm sounds?
- When a sibling dies?
- When you get the news you have cancer?
- When you lose your job?
- When mentally, you feel like you just can’t go on anymore?
When a real life alarm sounds, you need an actionable plan:
Pray.
That sounds obvious coming from a Christian blog site, doesn’t it? Just a glib answer to pray. Even as an Encouraging Woman, however, sometimes praying is the last thing that comes to my mind in the midst of the drama. My child is sick at 3am and crying hysterically. It isn’t until after I have her bathed and back to sleep that I crawl back into bed and hear that still, small voice saying, “I am here.”
Pray for Wisdom. Ask God to help you to easily discern what you should be doing.
Pray for Knowledge. For yourself. For others that may be in the situation with you.
Pray for Strength. To get through each moment of the crisis.
Pray for Peace. It is possible to keep God’s peace in the midst of the struggle.
Take Care of Yourself.
If you have ever flown on an airplane, you can recite the flight attendant’s plea to get your own oxygen mask secure before you try to help others. In the midst of the crisis, take care of yourself. Eat and sleep. If you get sick or worn down because you aren’t getting enough nutrition or sleep, you aren’t going to be able to help anyone.
Accept Offers of Help.
In the middle of mayhem, most people say these words, “Please let me know what I can do to help.” Sometimes, a thought will come to you. “I wish my house were clean.” Or “I need groceries.” Go ahead and SAY IT! The worst thing that can happen is they can say no. But most likely, they will help you get your needs met. Accept offers of food. Delegate errands. Allow your children to go to a friend’s house so you can get a nap. When everything is said and done, no one is going to knock on your door and award you a Gold Medal for getting everything done by yourself.
Do the Next Thing.
I remember when my grandmother died, I had been really, really sick for almost a month. I went to the hospital with a fever so I could see her one last time. I was 2 hours away from home without clothes and the next day was Christmas Eve. It took everything I had to get through those few days. If I had tried to think about all of the things I needed to accomplish, it would have been overwhelming to me. Instead, I focused on the next step. I went to my parents and took a nap to get strength to drive home. Then, I drove home. Then….well, you get the idea. I just focused on the next thing until I was through the process.
Take Time to Heal
Every ordeal we go through, causes a disruption in our spirit. You may need time to grieve. Don’t be too hard on yourself for taking the time to you need to get back to “normal” (whatever that is!). Continue to pray and ask God to give you wisdom and send the Holy Spirit to minister to your heart. It is okay to rest. If you have worship music, let it play throughout your home. Worship music can facilitate your healing.
Reflect
During and after your ordeal, take time to reflect. Whether journaling or talking to God, spend time contemplating your feelings about what happened. Recount the successes and the things you learned. This process will also bring healing for you.
Alarms sound in our lives and make us realize that we are never truly in control. Nevertheless, work the plan when your alarm sounds. Then, allow God to fulfill your prayers as you move forward with the next step.
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