Part Two: How to Cope with a Major Crisis
We left the church and started on a new, uncharted road.
We had to deal with the loss of jobs, income, friends, verbal attacks on my wife and children. We also had to deal with friends and leaders in the ministry, like Job, so called friends in the Old Testament, who made cruel comments like,”What did you do wrong!”
“God must be punishing you!”
“You should not be a preacher but an evangelist, because you only stayed in a church, on an average for three years!”
We had to deal with the feelings of rejection, lies, whispers and gossips!
We also had to deal with minister friends, who just forgot you, period, made cruel judgments on every word, or actions you did and cut off communication! Sometimes, I feel drug dealers, addicts and adulterers, when they confess and make a change are more accepted to preach in the pulpit, than myself, not pure, but a God fearing man!
What develops and will develop in all who are experiencing some kind of loss! Is called, the cycle of grief!
What are the steps in the Cycle of Grief?
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
How do we cope with this cycle of grief? I believe to just go with the flow, accept this cycle, to know it will pop up from time to time, because it never truly goes away. Secondly, I believe we need to make adjustments as they come!
Thirdly, is to find a good bible preaching church, a good pastor and a tremendous Sunday school. It’s there where you can get the emotional support.
Fourthly, you must develop a devotional life, which includes (prayer and bible study) and to be faithful in tithing.
Fifthly, to have good family support!
Sixthly, to developed an action plan and then put the plan in actuality.
What did I do? Well, I applied all of these principles.
My action plan was to find a job which was selling shoes at JC Penny in the evening, getting a career assessment, which resulted to be an ESE teacher, to go back to school at night and to be a substitute teacher in the day, to take the appropriate exams, to be a caregiver to my wife and family, and to preach the Gospel on Sundays, Wow! What a challenge, but with God’s help, I did all of the above! Now, God has opened up this blog to share my life stories to the world! To give hope and comfort!
So, I believe the big question by so many people.”Why does God allow these transitions (crisis) in life?”
Why, if God is so loving and caring why is he allowing all these transitions on life?
Dear friends, we are not robots but human beings created in His image and life is just life, sometimes it does not seem just, and there are no easy answers. Go ahead, cry, shout,or scream, just let your feelings out, it’s ok! God cares for us and I believe He loves us so very much that He sent His Son, Jesus to go through transitions in life, to die on the cross and to rise again, that we can accept Him into our hearts, so that we can be comforted, have eternal life and in return, here on earth, we can comfort others!
2 Corinthians Chapter one verse four, “Who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Dear friends, the next time we will meet, lets us explore this verse and its meaning for us today!
Lots of Love in Christ, Jesus, our Lord!
Eddie
We left the church and started on a new, uncharted road.
We had to deal with the loss of jobs, income, friends, verbal attacks on my wife and children. We also had to deal with friends and leaders in the ministry, like Job, so called friends in the Old Testament, who made cruel comments like,”What did you do wrong!”
“God must be punishing you!”
“You should not be a preacher but an evangelist, because you only stayed in a church, on an average for three years!”
We had to deal with the feelings of rejection, lies, whispers and gossips!
We also had to deal with minister friends, who just forgot you, period, made cruel judgments on every word, or actions you did and cut off communication! Sometimes, I feel drug dealers, addicts and adulterers, when they confess and make a change are more accepted to preach in the pulpit, than myself, not pure, but a God fearing man!
What develops and will develop in all who are experiencing some kind of loss! Is called, the cycle of grief!
What are the steps in the Cycle of Grief?
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
How do we cope with this cycle of grief? I believe to just go with the flow, accept this cycle, to know it will pop up from time to time, because it never truly goes away. Secondly, I believe we need to make adjustments as they come!
Thirdly, is to find a good bible preaching church, a good pastor and a tremendous Sunday school. It’s there where you can get the emotional support.
Fourthly, you must develop a devotional life, which includes (prayer and bible study) and to be faithful in tithing.
Fifthly, to have good family support!
Sixthly, to developed an action plan and then put the plan in actuality.
What did I do? Well, I applied all of these principles.
My action plan was to find a job which was selling shoes at JC Penny in the evening, getting a career assessment, which resulted to be an ESE teacher, to go back to school at night and to be a substitute teacher in the day, to take the appropriate exams, to be a caregiver to my wife and family, and to preach the Gospel on Sundays, Wow! What a challenge, but with God’s help, I did all of the above! Now, God has opened up this blog to share my life stories to the world! To give hope and comfort!
So, I believe the big question by so many people.”Why does God allow these transitions (crisis) in life?”
Why, if God is so loving and caring why is he allowing all these transitions on life?
Dear friends, we are not robots but human beings created in His image and life is just life, sometimes it does not seem just, and there are no easy answers. Go ahead, cry, shout,or scream, just let your feelings out, it’s ok! God cares for us and I believe He loves us so very much that He sent His Son, Jesus to go through transitions in life, to die on the cross and to rise again, that we can accept Him into our hearts, so that we can be comforted, have eternal life and in return, here on earth, we can comfort others!
2 Corinthians Chapter one verse four, “Who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Dear friends, the next time we will meet, lets us explore this verse and its meaning for us today!
Lots of Love in Christ, Jesus, our Lord!
Eddie
1 comment:
Good solid advice!
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