Page 11 - Kingdom News Today Edition 6
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took me through these steps that helped me to keep on. The urge will be there for you to give up,
moving forward. Let’s explore these eight steps: and live in sorrow or depression; but don’t fall
into this trap. You have to choose to live your
1. Wait at least a year to make any big deci- life the way God desires for you to live. Jesus
sions! Memories kept trying to overwhelm me came so that we may have life and have life
and would make me want to get rid of the things more abundantly. God does have a new life
my husband I accumulated during our 25 years waiting for you! He does have a plan for a
of marriage. I would urge you to not sell your useful life for you and a good one, if you will
home or vehicle. I would tell you to seek the choose to embrace it! There is always some-
Lord if you are thinking about moving away or one who could use your encouragement or
getting married again. Move slowly and be led help. There are projects to do for yourself, for
by the Lord in all decisions being made. your children, for your neighbors, and for
your church – people still need you, so keep
2. Do not stay shut up in your house! At first, I going!
wanted to stay in the house all the time, but I felt
the spirit of depression trying to overtake me, so 7. Keep your mind on others as much as possi-
I began to go for walks around the block. The ble! With this one, I’m not trying to be harsh,
fresh air and sunshine was just what I needed. I but when I was going through, the Lord re-
couldn’t allow that spirit to over take me, so minded me that there was someone, some-
even when I didn’t feel like going out, I forced where that has it worse off than me. This little
myself because I knew I was an overcomes. tap on my shoulder from the Lord caused me
to become other-centered, and pulled me from
3. Learn to pamper yourself!! This is very, very, getting totally obsessed with my own sorrow.
important! If you never had an excuse before,
you sure have one now! And even if it’s hard to 8. Realize that grief comes in waves. You will
break the life-long “motherly” habit of never feel like you are really getting over it, and sud-
thinking about yourself, you have to do it any- denly a thought, or a smell, or a memory will
way! Go somewhere you have never been to be- bring it all back just as strong as before. This
fore, or to your favorite place. Go on a trip. may make you want to think that you will
Keep flowers around you, if you can, or house NEVER get over it, but these things are com-
plants. Make your home a pleasant place for mon because this loved one has been a part of
you to be. your life and has made an indelible impression
on your heart. While grief will continue for a
4. Praise. Trying to praise God in the middle of a good amount of time (which will vary with the
tragedy can seem impossible at the time, but you individual) the ‘waves’ will become smaller
are still alive, and this act of praising God will and smaller. Less than seven years out from
remind you that YOUR God is STILL with you. my husband’s death I was very well on the
Praise is one of the greatest therapies in the uni- way to being totally recovered from his
verse! Get your Bible and remind yourself how death.
much your Father loves you! And what He has
done for you in Christ! Remember, there is AL- I hope these simple ideas will help you through
WAYS something to praise God for, find it! what is, for anyone, a very hard time. Remember
Praise will keep that darkness that comes to that, although you may experience “good” days
overpower your emotions from winning. Your and “bad” days, just know this is a process and
praise will make YOU win. you can be victorious in it. Remember, you are
5. Remember that you are not alone! Hebrews still in charge of your life, and the choices are
13:5 states, “I will never leave you nor forsake yours!
you.” This is a promise from our Lord and Sav-
ior Jesus Christ. One of the biggest tools of the
devil is that he will try to make you feel as
though you are alone. Remember, the devil is a
liar, Jesus is with you always.
6. Choose to go on with your life! Remember
that “going on,” is a choice, one that everyone in
your position has had to make a choice to go
Kingdom News Magazine ~ 11
