"When you face a trial that you feel nobody can help with, how do you handle it?"
It took me a minute to come up with an answer for this. Mostly in part because I rarely discuss trials and issues with anyone as it is. I'm one of those types who chooses to handle issues internally, seeking answers from within, before speaking to anyone. And if I'm really stressed, I only discuss personal matters with one of three people: my mother, my brother, or my husband. But more often than not, I'm looking to face trials solo dolo, with a little help from God, of course.
I know this seems like the cookie-cutter answer, but it is true. Anytime I am faced with situations that seem to be more than I can bear, I turn to God. I pray for strength, understanding, and direction. I go to His word and seek his answers. That's what I've been taught to do since I was young, as my mother kept our family in the church, and that's the only thing that works for me.
For example, some years back, I was faced with a difficult decision. The decision I made would cause me to leave the comfort of my once-happy home, lose my primary source of income, and eventually force me to move back to my childhood home with my children in tow. Lost and ashamed, I felt that I had no one to turn to. Friends I thought would be there for me grew distant. Family members who once offered help withdrew their resources. I felt like I had hit rock bottom. I won't go too deep into detail, because this is still a sensitive subject for me, but there was really no where to go but up for me. After a few weeks of laying in a funk, I started to pray. That's all I knew to do.
At first, I thought God wouldn't listen to my prayers. I had stopped going to church, I wasn't even thinking about paying any tithes, and the lifestyle I was leading was less than stellar. I was really feeling like the prodigal daughter. But I stepped out on my faith (the size of a mustard seed) and I asked God for forgiveness. I asked him to "clean me up" from the inside out, and give me direction. When I tell you guys that I had NOTHING going on, I mean NOTHING for real. But God stepped in and changed all that.
I didn't tell anyone my feelings or struggles but God. And he came to my rescue. He also sent people into my life that would help me to overcome my many obstacles and begin to live a better life. Resources poured out from nowhere. Debts I had were paid in full. A job I wasn't qualified for fell into my lap. An opportunity of a lifetime came right up to my doorstep (or shall I say my mother's) and knocked loudly upon her door. And I knew it was nothing but God.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I was such a fine specimen that God just poured blessing upon blessing down to my feet. In fact, I'm saying just the opposite. I felt I was nothing, that I wasn't good enough for anything or anyone worth having. But God renewed something in me, and restored something in me I never knew I had. Me, little old me, stepped out on faith and believed that He would help me and He did in more ways than I imagined. That's why I give him the credit and the praise for everything good in my life.
So there's my answer in a roundabout way. When faced with a trial, I turn to God. He is the only one who I can depend on for all of my needs. He won't disappoint me, turn on me, forsake me, or try to hurt me. He loves me unconditionally when I don't even have the sense to love myself. So for everything, I turn to Him.
Thank you Michelle for the thought-provoking question, and thank you to anyone who stopped by to read!
