Survival Mode
Today I revisited an unpleasant season in my life. This was a season in which I wasn't enjoying my life at all. Not even a small M&M's worth. I watch Joyce Meyer every day and I love her theme "Enjoying Everyday Life". I felt like I had adopted this motto for my own and life and would seek out joy in the smallest of things. I would giggle as I watched the squirrels scurry around and chase one another during my morning walks. My first cup of coffee in the morning was comforting - like sitting down with an old friend. Journaling - Oh how I love writing down all of the wonderful things God was doing in my life. However the luster of all these things had lost their shine. Everything around me seemed dull and I couldn't find color no matter how hard I tried.
Our family has endured so many mentally, physically and spiritually taxing circumstances over that last couple of years that I was just living each day in survival mode. Do you know what that is? It’s when you wake up every day thinking about how you can just get through the day so you can crawl back into the comfort of your bed and sleep. That’s it. Let’s just get through this day and get it over with.
Survival mode can be physical, emotional, mental and practical. It is when you are doing just enough to keep life going and, in order to stay afloat, you have to let many other important areas of life slip by the wayside just to have the energy to stay above water.
I would ask myself, “What do I absolutely have to do to make it through today?”. I would try to keep that list as short as possible and just kept going through the motions. Sure there were some highlights during this crazy season but just like any other highlights it didn't take long for the roots to show. I even feared I had opened a door for the enemy to sneak back in with the ever so unwelcome "D" word. Depression.
Then what happened next was horrible. - I became a complainer! I know right! How embarrassing to admit. A speaker known for her encouraging messages was now a bonafide complainer. I will spare you the boring details of everything I found to complain about but I assure you I was not the best company.
Once again to the social media world I was living a fabulous life. That deceptive highlight reel. We all hide behind it at some point or another. But then something awesome happened. God smacked me right upside the head. Yes! It was awesome! I needed it and God knows what we need when we need it. This highlight reel was my real life. All of these awesome things were happening all around me and they were real. I was the one letting the bad outshine the good. Instead of focusing on all of our blessings and seeking to find the joy in those stolen quiet moments with my cup of coffee I was just looking to complain. You know you dread seeing 'those' people coming. Ugh!
God opened my eyes and showed me everything I had to be grateful for in my life. How did He do this? He put someone in my path that was even more of a complainer than I was. Oh my goodness how ugly they were. I mean U.G.L.Y. - in the Spirit of course! Conviction immediately came and I thought to myself if I looked as bad to God as this person looked to me then I knew something had to change...and the change had to be my outlook on life.
It is amazing how a new perspective on things can make all the difference your world. I felt like I was looking through life in hyper color. Everything seemed brighter and coffee tasted good again. The squirrels were still playing and chasing each other and I had an amazing team of people around me that loved me. They really loved me. I was able to pick up my pen and start journaling again about all of the amazing wonderful blessings of God.
God in His perfectness never fails to be true to His Word. Even in the midst of our complaining if any part of us is seeking Him - He will answer. Remember the story in the bible about Mary and Martha? Martha, Martha, Martha...Mary has chosen the better. Sit down, take a break, stop complaining...haha! Love it! He knows exactly how to talk to us to get our attention.
Why did I choose to revisit this season? Because ever since that moment of conviction I can honestly say I am full of joy. I felt the need to share that being positive has stuck and I don't plan on letting it go. A little complaint may sneak through the cracks every now and then but I’m so full of joy that I always see the glass half full. I purposely look for the positive in every situation. Some obviously take a longer stare than others but it is blowing my mind that when we look for the good on purpose we can see it. Even if that positive is - God’s got this and I don’t have to worry about it. That promise in itself is enough to give us joy every day.
The Word tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 we have the power of self-control. I believe we can use that power to focus on the positive. I know for some it is harder than others. I also believe that this is only because we make a habit out of complaining. Habits are hard to break but not impossible. Creating new and good habits are hard to do too but it's not impossible. I challenge you the next time you start to complain or have a negative thought use your self control to make yourself come up with 3 positive things right then. Then use that positive perspective to cancel out those negative thoughts or complaints. Then watch God renew your mind with a dose of sight in hyper color.
Maybe you are a complainer and God is using this post to convict you or maybe you know someone that is a complainer and they need your prayers. I definitely prayed for my complaining acquaintance but I also put some space between us. Those spirits can be contagious. Beware! Either way make a decision today to focus on the positive. God is definitely a God of blessing but if we aren’t looking for it then we might just miss it.
Here are some scriptures I find incredibly helpful in seeking to find the good in all things. Just reading them gets me excited! We serve a mighty God and with Him all things really are possible.
Isaiah 41:13
13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 43:2
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Deuteronomy 31:8
8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Our family has endured so many mentally, physically and spiritually taxing circumstances over that last couple of years that I was just living each day in survival mode. Do you know what that is? It’s when you wake up every day thinking about how you can just get through the day so you can crawl back into the comfort of your bed and sleep. That’s it. Let’s just get through this day and get it over with.
Survival mode can be physical, emotional, mental and practical. It is when you are doing just enough to keep life going and, in order to stay afloat, you have to let many other important areas of life slip by the wayside just to have the energy to stay above water.
I would ask myself, “What do I absolutely have to do to make it through today?”. I would try to keep that list as short as possible and just kept going through the motions. Sure there were some highlights during this crazy season but just like any other highlights it didn't take long for the roots to show. I even feared I had opened a door for the enemy to sneak back in with the ever so unwelcome "D" word. Depression.
Then what happened next was horrible. - I became a complainer! I know right! How embarrassing to admit. A speaker known for her encouraging messages was now a bonafide complainer. I will spare you the boring details of everything I found to complain about but I assure you I was not the best company.
Once again to the social media world I was living a fabulous life. That deceptive highlight reel. We all hide behind it at some point or another. But then something awesome happened. God smacked me right upside the head. Yes! It was awesome! I needed it and God knows what we need when we need it. This highlight reel was my real life. All of these awesome things were happening all around me and they were real. I was the one letting the bad outshine the good. Instead of focusing on all of our blessings and seeking to find the joy in those stolen quiet moments with my cup of coffee I was just looking to complain. You know you dread seeing 'those' people coming. Ugh!
God opened my eyes and showed me everything I had to be grateful for in my life. How did He do this? He put someone in my path that was even more of a complainer than I was. Oh my goodness how ugly they were. I mean U.G.L.Y. - in the Spirit of course! Conviction immediately came and I thought to myself if I looked as bad to God as this person looked to me then I knew something had to change...and the change had to be my outlook on life.
It is amazing how a new perspective on things can make all the difference your world. I felt like I was looking through life in hyper color. Everything seemed brighter and coffee tasted good again. The squirrels were still playing and chasing each other and I had an amazing team of people around me that loved me. They really loved me. I was able to pick up my pen and start journaling again about all of the amazing wonderful blessings of God.
God in His perfectness never fails to be true to His Word. Even in the midst of our complaining if any part of us is seeking Him - He will answer. Remember the story in the bible about Mary and Martha? Martha, Martha, Martha...Mary has chosen the better. Sit down, take a break, stop complaining...haha! Love it! He knows exactly how to talk to us to get our attention.
Why did I choose to revisit this season? Because ever since that moment of conviction I can honestly say I am full of joy. I felt the need to share that being positive has stuck and I don't plan on letting it go. A little complaint may sneak through the cracks every now and then but I’m so full of joy that I always see the glass half full. I purposely look for the positive in every situation. Some obviously take a longer stare than others but it is blowing my mind that when we look for the good on purpose we can see it. Even if that positive is - God’s got this and I don’t have to worry about it. That promise in itself is enough to give us joy every day.
The Word tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 we have the power of self-control. I believe we can use that power to focus on the positive. I know for some it is harder than others. I also believe that this is only because we make a habit out of complaining. Habits are hard to break but not impossible. Creating new and good habits are hard to do too but it's not impossible. I challenge you the next time you start to complain or have a negative thought use your self control to make yourself come up with 3 positive things right then. Then use that positive perspective to cancel out those negative thoughts or complaints. Then watch God renew your mind with a dose of sight in hyper color.
Maybe you are a complainer and God is using this post to convict you or maybe you know someone that is a complainer and they need your prayers. I definitely prayed for my complaining acquaintance but I also put some space between us. Those spirits can be contagious. Beware! Either way make a decision today to focus on the positive. God is definitely a God of blessing but if we aren’t looking for it then we might just miss it.
Here are some scriptures I find incredibly helpful in seeking to find the good in all things. Just reading them gets me excited! We serve a mighty God and with Him all things really are possible.
Isaiah 41:13
13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 43:2
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Deuteronomy 31:8
8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
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