Before the unexpected hits, it is always good to know a few practices that will help us to persevere well. After all, sometimes, it is hard to think straight when in the middle of hardship. Perhaps these three important ways to embrace difficult circumstances will benefit you.
Jeanne Takenaka, my friend, has had her share of the unexpected, and today, she is sharing three practices that will help us navigate the hard seasons. On her website, you can find Jeanne, a beauty-seeker, work-wielder, and God-follower, where she continually shares inspiring words.
Discover three important ways to embrace difficult circumstances from Jeanne Takenaka. #embracetheunexpectedseries #unexpeced Click To TweetThree Important Ways to Embrace Difficult Circumstances
Written by Jeanne Takenaka
How do you navigate difficult circumstances?
I admit it. I’m a bottler. I bottle up my reactions to life’s difficult situations and fist them inside. We probably all know doing this is never a healthy act. However, embracing it all is hard when a lot of unexpected burns a way into our lives. It’s challenging to trust my burdens to others. In my flesh, I’m a “fight against it,” “get through it” woman.
In 2018, in a matter of four months, my oldest received a life-changing diagnosis. My youngest son sustained a severe concussion that landed him in a deep depression. And my mother, who lives seventy-five miles away, fell and broke her hip and wrist. My father called to share this news the day my oldest and I were to hear his diagnosis.
In the next eighteen days, I made ten trips to my parents’ home and city to attend doctor’s appointments and prepare their house for my mom’s homecoming after rehab. All of this stretched me oh, so thin.
None of these circumstances were what I expected; all of them demanded that I be fully present. I had no extra capacity to process my own emotions in the middle of being there for everyone else.
Do you ever find yourself unable to process your emotion because your are so busy helping everyone else? #emotions Click To TweetHow do we embrace difficult circumstances?
Honestly? I didn’t begin well. When one attempts to carry many heavy burdens on her small shoulders, she will be pressed down, shaken together, and left spinning. Learning to embrace many challenging circumstances was a day-by-day choice to either give in or press into Jesus.
My first realization was that all of these difficult circumstances were waaaay bigger than me. To think I “could handle this” without any assistance from my heavenly Father was naive and self-centered.
Three practices to help us navigate hard seasons
First, we must come to terms with the reality that things took a turn from how we thought they would go. Whether this means something didn’t happen that we expected, or something entirely out of the blue occurred.
Any unexpected shift in our lives or plans takes time to process. We must permit ourselves to work through the emotions—the thoughts—grappling within us.
This thought probably sounds cliché; however, we must get gut-level honest with the Lord about our responses to difficult circumstances. He knows what we’re thinking and feeling anyway. When we choose transparency with Jesus, sincere communication opens up between us.
“When we choose transparency with Jesus, sincere communication opens up between us.” —Jeanne Takenaka #communication #Jesus Click To TweetSpending time in nature offers me the headspace to work through difficult circumstances. Time outside my home gives me clarity to talk with the Lord unhindered by my phone, laptop, and other distractions.
Second, spend time in the Word and ask God for a Bible verse to bring us through our current difficult circumstances. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Invite Jesus to show us how it applies in our current situation. This idea may sound like a truism, but God’s Word holds the power to strengthen us when unexpected situations walk through the door of our lives.
“God's Word holds the power to strengthen us when unexpected situations walk through the door of our lives.” Jeanne Takenaka Click To TweetThird, remember that God never expects us to handle complex, overwhelming circumstances in our strength. He’s given us friends and family members who love us. My husband and a couple of close friends listened when my pain and overwhelm poured out. Sharing our inadequacies, our “not enough-ness” with a trusted someone gives us strength. When we share what’s going on in the deeper levels of our hearts, the clasp of those difficult situations—the inaccurate thoughts holding us—lose their grip.
When we share our hardships with trusted people, God multiplies our capacity to walk through them. We’ve trusted Him and those He’s placed in our lives, which lends us strength and the ability to embrace the unexpected.
Conclusion
Did I master the delicate art of embracing my difficult circumstances during these months? I wish I could answer, “Yes! Perfectly.” But I’m not that gal. Instead, I learned through the mess that resulted from some bad decisions. Embracing that season of my life happened on a more gradual basis.
God reminded me I wasn’t navigating all these situations alone, and He gave me friends who could handle my tears and point me back to Jesus. My Father gifted me with a completely supportive husband. He provided wisdom through others to know the right questions to ask doctors and other professionals. And God supplied just what I needed each day.
We must remember that, though we rarely see what’s coming into our lives, our Father is never surprised. He equips us to walk through the hard, not in our strength but leaning on Him.
We’re not meant to walk through this life alone. God yearns for us to entrust our pain to Him, lean on His strength, and choose to walk in fellowship with Him and others.
What about you? What helps you navigate difficult circumstances? How has God met you when you walked through tough times?
Award-winning writer Jeanne Takenaka creates stories where faith and grace hold hands. She and her family call Colorado home. She loves reading, coffee, and time with friends. When not writing, you can find Jeanne, camera in hand, searching for #alittlebitofpretty. She’s a member of ACFW and Novel Academy.
You can connect with Jeanne on her Website, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Jeanne, this is just. So. Good. I tend to bottle up and get depressed–then, I take it to Him. I don’t have much of a support network but I’m working on it.
Thank you for sharing your heart. Praying for you, friend.
Blessings,
Tammy
Thanks for your honest words, Tammy. I’m still working on this too. Hugs, friend. And thanks for the prayers.
Sometimes everything seems to come at once. So much so that when a quieter time comes we can hardly believe that there are no difficulties for a while. Thank you for your advice on spending time reading the Bible, Jeanne.
That has often helped me too.
Plus: walk, walk, walk 🙂
Aritha, so true! When we find ourselves in a quieter time, it’s almost an adjustment to learn how to dwell in the quiet. I like the way you think—walk, walk, walk! 🙂
A difficult time for you Jeanne. I’m glad you have a wonderful support network. Which is so important when facing the overwhelm.
I’m a run to Jesus gal in all times. Learn’t through many, many difficult times. I too have been gifted with a wonderful support network. Such a blessing!
And highly value the power of corporate prayer.
Blessings to you & Maree,
Jennifer
Thank goodness the Lord gives us what we need in the overwhelming seasons. And being a “run-to-Jesus” gal is the best way to get through difficult seasons. And yes, I love that you mention corporate prayer, Jennifer! There’s such power in that!
Blessings to you too. Maree
Oh Jeanne … just reading about those four months here makes my heart ache for you all over again. Thinking back on my own hardest seasons, I’m so grateful for friends and loved ones who listened and prayed. You’re right … we can’t carry it all alone, and thank God when those who know us well are there to bear our burdens with us. Thank you, Jeanne and Maree, for this encouraging message.
Lois, yes, having friends who walk with us by listening and praying makes those difficult seasons a little less painful to walk through. I’m so glad Jesus bears our burdens with us.
This first step is often the hardest for me: “First, we must come to terms with the reality that things took a turn from how we thought they would go.” In my current situation, I STILL find myself saying 9 months later, “Can this really be happening???” So one thing I tell myself each morning is, “Yes, this is really happening.” But also, “It won’t always be like this. Everything changes.”
Memorizing scripture has been an important thing for me too, mainly for the truth of God’s goodness but also for the intellectual challenge.
Such a great post. Thanks, Jeanne and Maree!
Lisa, sometimes the hardest thing for me in what you said is remember that the way things are right now isn’t how they’ll always be. Thanks for the reminder to memorize Scripture. We DO need to remember God’s goodness and His character, don’t we?
I appreciate Jeanne’s transparency and willingness to share her struggles. The other day I heard an interview with a country singer who found her way back to God when she knew she needed more than herself to get through her struggles. We try, for some crazy reason, to do it alone, but we don’t have to! Thank you for that reminder today, Jeanne.
Lynn, I think we all sometimes need a reminder that we don’t have to struggle alone. God is always with us in our struggles. We just need to turn to Him. rr
All too often I do try it alone too.
Maree, thanks for for allowing me to share on your site. 🙂
Oh, Jeanne, your words are so inspiring. Thank you for the gift of your post. Maree