When’s the last time everything went just the way you planned it?
I pray it’s and that life is treating you right. But if things are a little messy right now, and
you’re feeling like you’ve got about as much mettle as a Squishmallow—hang on and
remember—tough been more often than not, times never last, and better days really are coming.
In the meantime, here are two things I do that help me cope with whatever’s not going
right at the moment.
1. Spend time alone with God.
This isn’t the kind of prayer where I unload my entire list of problems. God already
knows every detail—every worry, every weight, every why. This time is different. It’s me
opening God’s Word and whispering, “Speak, Lord. I’m listening. “Then, as I’m settled, quiet,
and ready to “hear, ”I read the passage again, listen, and receive the comfort and peace He has
for my troubled heart and worried mind. It may be just a word or phrase, but doing this allows
God to calm the troubled waters of my life. And as I sit with His truth, I cling to the promise in
Philippians 4:7—that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. “And He does. Every time.
2. Read an encouraging word.
One of my favorites comes from Chuck Swindoll’s Getting Through the Tough Stuff
(Swindoll, 2017). Near the end of the book, he writes:
I want to assure you that you are not alone in the struggle. The One who made you
understands you.
While He may push you to what seems to be your breaking point, He is never far away.
Because He cares, He stays near, even though you can’t see Him. And because He loves you, He
will make sure you make it.
He then tells the story of a young man blinded in an accident who sank into bitterness,
refusing to help himself or hope for a future. That is, until his father—exasperated and desperate
to shake him awake—told him it was still his job to put up the storm windows and to get it done
before suppertime, or else!
Angry and cursing to himself the whole way, the young man felt his way to the garage,
found the tools, the stepladder, the windows, and got to work.
He imagined everyone would be sorry when he fell off the ladder—but he didn’t. One
slow, shaky step at a time, he got the job done.
But the story does not end there. He later discovered that at no time during the day had
his father ever been more than four or five feet away from his side. He let his son struggle, but
never alone. Never unguarded. Never unwatched.
Getting through the stuff rarely feels quick or easy. It’s what makes life seem harsh and
unfair, sometimes even impossible.
But knowing my Heavenly Father stays near, even when I can’t see Him, even when I
feel like I’m fumbling through the day with nothing but guesswork and grit, can be just enough
to keep me on my feet and able to take on whatever the day may include.
