The Blizzards of Life

Sometimes you wake up to a winterland of white beauty.  A new snow has softly covered the grey-brown world of winter.  There are no footprints or tiretracks on the sparkling icing everywhere.

Then other times you open the curtains to a raging blizzard of white wind, blocking from view the other side of your street.  There is no snow on the tree skeletons for it's all blown off.  It is bleak.

Life can be like that, forces surrounding us, working to knock us down, freezing us to our bones.  Let's reflect now on the blizzards of our lives, the times when we have been pushed down by the storms in our marriages, families, jobs, natural disasters, or even our neighborhoods.  When the way out of deep problems seem obscure, how do we stand up and walk on?

For a time, in the beginning, not even "9-1-1" could get through to rescue us.  How will we climb out to safety, strength, and peace?

Prayer to our Lord God would always be our natural first reflex, our innate lifesaver. God, what can I do?  Where do I start?  I need your help, please!

My dear friend, Mary Ann, has a young daughter, Sherry, who proudly and blatantly proclaims herself an atheist. Mary Ann and Sherry were visiting a historic site on the most blistering of summer days.  Mary Ann, who's a bit overweight, had walked in the heat for hours.  Then they had to climb steep steps.  Halfway up, Mary Ann felt everything around her spinning, felt like she was going to pass out, and just quickly sat down on the concrete.  Sherry immediately and loudly cried out, "Oh, God, help her!"  A few minutes later, Mary Ann felt OK and they resumed their climbing, slower.

When we have devastating problems, perhaps a problem we've never before encountered, we want to hide it, hope it goes away, and are, frankly, ashamed and embarrassed.  There must have been something we could have done to prevent this disaster. We need to realize that everyone has problems.  That is life!  Now it's our turn.  It WILL pass!

It helps tremendously to share what we're going through with a trusted friend, clergy, family member, or professional counselor.  They will sympathize and comfort us.  They probably can't solve our problem for us, but perhaps they can shed new insights. This will certainly help decrease our sky-high stress level.

The last time I experienced a thoroughly traumatic event, I shared with an old friend at church.  She told me, "You would be surprised at all the people here who have a very similar problem."  That really helped me - I'm not alone!

It is harder to ask for help than to give help.  If we're 'down and out,' our friends would be honored if we asked for their temporary help.  Over the years, more than one of my friends has told me, "I appreciate you trusting me enough to share with me.  It means a lot to me.  I will help."

Depending on the nature of our problem, we may need to seek education to learn about our OPTIONS.  That was my very favorite word in counseling psychiatric patients.  There are ALWAYS, ALWAYS OPTIONS in every situation!  Take your time in discovering yours, choose wisely.  Pray for wisdom!

Oh, Lord God, here we are again, asking for your help!  My problem seems so insurmountable now that I think I will never smile again.  But I know without a doubt that you will show me the way because you love me as I love you.