Rough day? Oh man, I understand. Wouldn’t it be nice if life was easier? The truth is that rough days happen. Here is my advice for getting through:
3 Tips for Getting Through: Prayer, Perspective, Purpose
1. Prayer. I don’t know where I’d be without prayer. Throughout the day I seek God. “Please, help me. Give me strength. Give me wisdom. Give me patience, Lord!”
I also ask friends to pray for me. I have a network of friends I reach out to for prayer. I text them often, “Please pray,” and I’m honored when they ask me to do the same. Sometimes it’s about big stuff, but sometimes it’s about the ordinary stuff of life, like a teen’s bad attitude. Going before God makes a difference. Yes, prayer does change things.
2. Perspective. I used to think I had rough days. You know the days when the laundry is piled up, the kids are sick, and I feel pulled in too many directions. Yet my idea of rough days changed as I started stepping out in faith—when I started walking out God’s directives and reaching out to those in need.
Just last week I met a new young mom in our teen mom support group. “Danielle” came with a friend. Both of these young moms grew up in foster care. Both live in transitional housing, and Danielle shared how she watched her mother die when she was only 7 years old. Neither of these moms has a family to call her own. Both were excited about our teen mom support group. They were overjoyed to hear about the upcoming speakers, and both gave a little cheer when they heard we were going to all have matching T-shirts. Finally, a place they belonged! Isn’t it amazing that something as simple as matching T-shirts can give them that feeling?
My adopted kids have given me a different perspective on rough days too. One of my girls had major surgery before we’d even met her, and she didn’t have a mom or dad there with her. My adopted daughters also tell me about the hard things they’ve experienced and the horrible things they’ve seen. They talk about the ways they were teased and bullied in school since they were in foster care. My heart breaks, knowing my kids faced that, and I wasn’t around to help them. Thankfully, John and I are here now and will be until our last breaths.
Loving these young moms and even my own children has changed my perspective. Walking out God’s Word takes me to hard places and to hurting people. As I give, love and serve, I also look at my life differently. What I used to consider rough days are now minor conveniences.
Want to see the world differently? Step outside your comfort zone.
Want to feel as if you’re making a difference? Open your arms—or even your home—to someone without a family or hope for the future.
Want to get a new perspective? Listen to another person’s story.
As I hear about other people’s hard lives, it gives me fresh perspective on my hard days.
3. Purpose. I used to think my life’s purpose was to do good, live well and make some type of difference. Yet the more I followed God, the more I began to see that my purpose isn’t about me.
My purpose on earth is to follow God, spread the gospel and depend on Jesus as I do the first two. When my eyes are lifted to Him, and I discover God’s great purposes, I worry less about the daily, little stuff.
Yes, I still have rough days. Yes, sometimes I still get overwhelmed by little stuff. Yet overall, reaching out to care for the needy and hurting—knowing this is God’s good purpose for me—has changed things. When I’ve asked God to show me His heart, He has—and I find my heart breaking.
A broken heart is not a bad thing. Instead, it’s made me thankful for all I have and all that God’s done. And that truly is something to get me through rough days. {eoa}
Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of 10, grandmother of two and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A best-selling author, Tricia has published 50 books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner as well as a Christy and ECPA Award nominee. To connect with Tricia, go to triciagoyer.com or facebook.com/authortriciagoyer.
This article originally appeared at triciagoyer.com.
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