Lucinda McDowell in Spa for the Soul says, “There are three possible outcomes of any crisis: a change for the better, a change for the worse, or a return to the previous level of functioning. Most of us desire that the outcome is for the better but do we realize that much of that depends on our own attitude? The Chinese term for crisis (weji) is made up of two symbols – one for ‘danger’ and one for ‘opportunity’. The English word is taken from the Greek word krinein, meaning ‘to decide’. So, every time of crisis is a time of decision. Yes, it is dangerous, but it is also an opportunity.”
I’ve been living in a state of emotional crisis for as long as I can remember. It courses through my veins and, sadly, I don’t think my body or mind know what to do with a state of equilibrium when it peeks through in slivers.
But this is what I know, crisis or not.God has shown himself to be faithful and true to me in the past few days in ways I could never have imagined.
He parted some waters that were rough indeed. He sent wise counsel in the form of deeply caring friends. He sent support – emotional, physical, spiritual – in the form of those same friends. He whispered next steps and sent me Psalms (specifically 56, 91 and 116) at the moment I needed them, one a day, each the perfect Psalm on just the right day.
And now I sit on the somewhat other side and I talk to myself with this, from Psalm 116:7: Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
My soul is fighting to be at rest…it doesn’t want to be yet…but my Lord has been good to me, deeply good, and so I will continue to remind myself of that until it quiets itself down, even if it takes a long while.
May my attitude embrace the opportunity that is before me to heal and to grow even stronger, even if I don’t want to quite yet.
If this post helped you, I would encourage you to check out “Surviving in a Difficult Christian Marriage”, found here.
