I Wanna Go Home!
Sometimes we just want to go to a cumfy place. Home may or may not have been that for you, but there was probably at least one place that you’d consider returning to, especially in times of stress.
Yesterday, I was simply reflecting on how thankful I was. There was a meme by Shared Hope Intl. that had an empty chair, admonishing us to remember that not everyone is enjoying the dignity of freedom with family and friends. Some people are trapped in human trafficking and child sex trafficking.
I recalled when I spent Thanksgiving in an abandoned apartment in the small city where I lived on the streets. The gas hadn’t been shut off yet. I found a small skillet and cooked a little scrambled hamburger and warmed some green beans in the can over the fire. I was so glad to be inside and not being abused for the day. It was a filthy little place, but there was a couch.
Bad beginnings do not necessitate bad endings.
Wherever you are, if you’re breathing, it’s not the end. Our lives are one continuum. From the moment of conception, and throughout our lives we have opportunities to change the trajectory of our outcomes. I call these moments “hinge moments”.
A hinge moment could be as simple as not allowing someone to speak to us in an unkind way. Or it could be as complex as getting a new job or doing something we’ve never done before. We meet new people, develop new skills, think new thoughts, dream new dreams, and go to new places.
Sometimes the new things can become overwhelming. That’s when we wanna go home; back to a comfortable environment or a relaxed familiar relationship. That’s all good, unless that is not a good place for us. We must be careful not to revert to unhealthy coping strategies or rekindle inappropriate relationships.
Many people get very down during the holidays. In some cases we are realizing that our romantic ideas of what we want things to be like are not coming to pass. Other times our current relationships are not good for us. For some visiting family or family of spouses is difficult. The holidays may mean strife and contentions.
No one has smooth sailing at all times. Everyone has times of upheaval and stress and times that are a little easier. There isn’t a person alive that has not had difficulty at times, no matter how charmed their lives seem. You and I are not aware of everything that goes on. We sometimes think that in this world of social media that we know what others are going through, but that is not true. We see only glimpses.
Perspective can go along way toward staying peaceful and safe during the holidays. Here are some simple phrases that may help:
- Now that I’m an adult, I write my own life story.
- I consider others when making decisions, but won’t allow them to control me.
- I am valuable as a person and I don’t need to do anything to make that true.
- I am responsible for my response to life’s circumstances.
- I am not responsible for anyone else’s happiness.
- God loves me at every age and every stage of my life.
- I have the capacity for joy and peace regardless of what’s going on around me.
I sincerely hope you can find the little things to be of great joy this holiday season. Reach out, if you get stuck. Find a safe place to regroup.
Keep in mind, that you are a treasure, the heritage of the Lord. That simply means, that the Creator of the universe loves you, so much that He was willing to come as a baby in a manger, grow up among mere men and suffer and die to bring you home to heaven with Him. However, it also means that you have an enemy to you cannot appease. The devil wants to destroy you, based solely on the fact that you are a human being.
What are the phrases that you tell yourself to help you get through stressful times?