There are times in life when fog is all you see in the five day forecast. Shining a light only seems to worsen the problem as the small rays of light are magnified by every molecule of water.
You wait… dream of clearer days… and wonder how you ever took the sun so for granted before.
Days of overcast emotions cause our thoughts to lose clarity. The days of crisp processing, big dreams and bigger expectations are a thing of the past. In these times, all we can do is pray that the Lord will return our heart to a place of zealous accomplishment for His glory.
Last night I had a conversation with a dear friend who lost his father just last week. He is living in a thick fog brought on by his loss. I didn’t know what to say, except that ‘this was all part of a process and don’t worry – the sun will shine again.’
I’ll admit, I feel my way through life more than I think my way through life. My emotions are very powerful. I’ve come to accept that God wired me this way. However, finding ways to withstand the tsunami of catastrophic emotions has been very important to my daily life. Here are things I do when depressing thoughts set in or I am caught in a fog of feelings:
1. Write. By journaling things on paper, I see my mixed up thoughts in black and white. It is a bit unexplainable, but somehow writing brings feelings of clarity that few other exercises can.
2. Pray what I write. I spend time praying my written thoughts to God. By doing this, I am able to stay more focused in what I pray and I can hear God’s thoughts in return more clearly because I wrote my thoughts down and got them out of the way.
3. Call a mentor. God has given me several men that I look up too. I often call them and talk things through. Sometimes, just the talking helps. But often their words are the tangible wisdom of God given to me.
4. Read the Psalms. God’s Word brings clarity, but commiserating with David, Asaph or the other Psalmist has a way of bringing both comfort and clarity.
5. Eat and Sleep right. When I am messed up emotionally, it is important that I eat well to keep my blood sugar and other balances in line. I also must sleep; not sleep to avoid the pain, but sleep to rest and then awake to still deal with the emotions.
If you find yourself twisted up like a bowl of spaghetti noodles and not sure how to get untangled, seek God. Remember what Psalm 118:8 says – “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people.” (NLT)
You are not alone. This is part of the process. The Sun will shine again.
