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Dealing with a Bad Day

Background

Every now and then, we tend to have those bad days.  When I say bad days, I am speaking of bad emotional days where you know that the only thing that you can do is to ride them out.  Last week was one of those weeks.  Praise God that this week is starting off better.  Along with praying and reading God’s word, I took a walk to the beach, and let the sand and water run through my feet. I notice that for me, it tends to happen when I already have a few issues that I am dealing with, and then unfortunately, a few to several more are taking place.   These are those days when I thank God for Lamentations 3: 22-24, which says:

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“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!” NKJV

This verse gives us hope in knowing that every morning we get a new set of mercies, and that although we feel like our state is going to last forever, it isn’t.  God is gracious, and joy does come in the morning.  Praise the Lord!

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There are several things that I have found works for me when I am having a bad day:

  • Saturating myself in God’s word.  Sometimes we have a favorite book of the bible, or a favorite verse that we can recite over and over.
  • Praying to God for relief and provision during this time.  Sometimes I’ve literally laid my hands on myself, or laid out prostrate for God to break through, reciting his word back to him, and reminding him that he promises that his word would not return unto him void.  I also pray and ask God to help me to get to the root of what is causing this if I am not 100% sure of the cause.
  • Getting outside for fresh air.  It’s good for the adrenal glands, and an overall good feeling. If the sun is out, we get free Vitamin D.
  • Going for a walk.  When we walk, our blood is flowing, oxygen is running through, and it gives our bodies an overall good feeling.
  • Taking an additional Vitamin D if needed.
  • Going out with friends and having a discussion about some of the issues that are going on, along with talking about things that you like to do that will help to lift your mood.  Remember, we weren’t made to bear all of our burdens on our own.
  • If you live close to a beach or pond, watching the water gives a calming effect.  
  • Journaling:  Writing down a list of the things that you are dealing with, and going to God in your writing can also help release some of the weight.
  • Creativity:  This could include painting, upcycling, poetry, scrapbooking, etc.
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But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

Isaiah 43: 1-7, NKJV

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Devotional: Surprised by Provision

Disappointment

There are a lot of things that happen in life that we are just not prepared for handling.  As a matter of fact, if God revealed to us what was on the way, we’d take off running in the other direction.  Sometimes one thing happens, and that one thing ends up changing your entire world for what you know it to be.  That is what happened to Naomi.  She was surprised by disappointment, and then surprised by provision.

Naomi and her husband Elimelech, and their two sons decided to leave Bethlehem and reside in Moab because of the famine.  Instead of life getting better at this point, it got worse.  Elimelech died.  Their two sons found wives, and got married.  Then their two sons died.

Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem, since she heard that they had bread again.  She figured that this might be a small sign of God’s provision.  Naomi told her two daughter-in-laws to head back to their homelands so that they could find husbands, since she didn’t have anymore sons.   Orpah left, but Ruth decided to stay:

 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Ruth 1:16, KJV

When they returned back to Bethlehem, it was evident that Naomi was surprised by God’s provision:

So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.  Ruth 1: 19-22, KJV

Neither Ruth nor Naomi had a clue that going back to Bethlehem would bring surprise provision itself.  They went back for bread.  God had a little bit more than bread waiting for them.  He slowly began to reveal his plan.    

Ruth went out to glean corn, and she met a man named Boaz.  They had a conversation, and Boaz let on to Ruth that God was recompensing her work for her full diligence:

 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Ruth 2: 11-12, KJV

When Ruth arrived back home, Naomi questioned her about the food.  Ruth told her that she had met a man by the name of Boaz.  Naomi knew this was good news:

And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

Ruth 2: 20, KJV

According to the law, a kinsmen could be the redeemer if a relative died.  In this case, since Boaz was a kinsmen, he could redeem the land that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons.  However, there was a kinsmen even closer than Boaz.  This meant that he had first pick.  This relative didn’t want to forfeit his own inheritance.  Therefore, Boaz became the kinsmen redeemer.

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

Ruth 4: 9-10, KJV

 

Surprise!

What a surprise!  The women encouraged Naomi, telling her that God hadn’t forgotten about her:  

And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

Ruth 4: 14-15, KJV

 

My Story

At the age of 25, I had my surprise disappointment as well.  I was pregnant with my first child, and I worked all the way up to the day before delivery.  At the time, I was the breadwinner for the household, and I had all of the family health insurance in my name.  My son had his days and nights mixed up, and so for almost six weeks, I had between two to three hours of consecutive sleep during the night.  I was at the point of extreme exhaustion, and I could tell that my blood pressure was up. 

This was confirmed when the home nurse came out to check on me.  As soon as she checked my blood pressure, she knew that it was from lack of sleep.  Four days before my six weeks was up, my son started sleeping through the night for four consecutive hours.  However, I need that I would need two extra weeks of this before returning to work, or else my health would plummet.

I called my job, and requested an additional two weeks off.  I was informed that if i didn’t come back right away, then I would be considered as having abandoned my job.  I hung up the phone, and then wrestled with what to do.  With $50 left to my name, and no emergency money, this was a hard call.  However, I also knew that if they were like this about my health, then they would definitely be like this about my son’s health as well.  I decided not to go back, not sure of how I would make it.

Surprise

My son was almost 3 months old when I took him to his three month checkup.  After the appointment, I decided to visit my old job, which was five minutes away.  I got caught up with everyone, and my old boss asked me when I would return to work.  I told my old boss what happened, and he said, ” Just like that?”.  I replied, ” Yes, just like that. End of story.”  We laughed, and he asked me what I thought of working for him again.  I thought he was joking, but he was dead serious.  What a surprise!  

Within two weeks, I was back to working again.  In the beginning, I worked a five day week, then a 10 hour four-day week while my son was little, before moving on to a different job.  I didn’t know, but God knew that his divine providence was waiting for me at this place.  All I had to do was to go and get it.  Talk about Jesus working it out with provision!

 

Dear God,

We thank you for your surprise providence.  Thank you for helping us to step out on faith, even when we are not sure what you have in store for us.  

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

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Reflections and Revelations

Do you ever have those moments where you sit back, relax, and reflect on what God has done, and is currently doing in your life?  I do.  Majority of the time, when it happens, it is usually right after waking up first thing in the morning, and my mind is fresh with ideas.  I call this my time of reflections.  There are other times that it happens right after taking a much needed walk outside on a breezy, summer evening.  These walks have helped me to refocus my thoughts and regain a sense of being centered again.  I can give myself permission to take note of all of the things that God has created, and feel his presence at the same time.  The poem below was written after having a trying day, and me pressing into Jesus for comfort and reflection on the important things in life.

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The Revelation

When our focus is on you,

Then our life begins anew.

When we see there is no coincidence,

There is only divine Providence.

 

When we listen for God’s perfect plan,

Then we’ll know that he is the only Man.

Who can fulfill all our needs,

Have people plant all those seeds.

Work at erasing all those greeds.

 

They say that the best things in life are free.

I had to think to myself,

“Is this what I believe?”

Stop, focus, and count to three.

 

But I opened my eyes and then I saw.

He pulled away the layers and he stripped me raw.

I could feel my eyes fill up with tears.

As he bent down low,

And whispered into my ears.

 

“Have you heard?

Contentment is the secret word.

I AM enough!”

 

 

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 

1 Timothy 6:6-12, NIV