Walking into the Next Chapter

CHAPTER 1 RESET AFTER TRAUMA The beginning of a new chapter is ultimately the decision to start life afresh. It is the meaning you attach to an event that enables you to see the event as something that changes you or opens a new door in your life. THE HEALING POWER OF WRITING Writing about your thoughts and feelings after losing someone gives you a chance to express yourself, which is rare in this highly judgmental world. It also gives you the tools to explore and discover within yourself so you can rebuild your inner strength. do not give up! Stick to your beliefs. You have to keep going even though the path may seem strange or even dangerous at times. God will go before you, straighten the crooked places, and remove dangerous obstacles from your path. Be steadfast in my trust that I will perfect the things that concern you, the Lord says. “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2 KJV Beloved, don't look back. The past is behind you and your future awaits you. Seize every moment as it comes and lean on me for strength, courage, and wisdom. You are not alone, facing the world alone, because I am with you whether you recognize my presence or not. The Lord said, I will supernaturally empower you to stand up and move forward in My strength and power. The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the Lord: "You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit.” Zechariah 4:6 (GNT) Death is a cruel and merciless enemy. We all face death at some point in our lives. You may have received bad news from your doctor. Or maybe you're struggling to move forward after the death of a son, daughter, or spouse. ALLOW THE FEELINGS Coping with the loss of a loved one can bring up just about every emotion imaginable. Sometimes you can feel like you're "going crazy" when more than one emotion seems to be prevailing at the same time. It's natural to feel this way because it's normal to experience a range of different feelings. In times of death and grief, gently remind yourself that your feelings are your own and that they are within the norm. Knowing that there is no right or wrong way to feel about the loss of a loved one is important to your process. However, God's assurance will protect and guide you. That's what death is: it keeps surprising us, it keeps interrupting our lives. We pause to mourn. Grief hurts; it doesn't even feel right. It feels bad—so bad we want to avoid it. Our American culture doesn't "handle" death and grief very well. We avoid it, we don't talk about it, and unlike many other cultures around the world, we don't know what a "good death" is. The truth is, more than half of us are actively grieving someone or a loss right now. You go out in the company of mourners. As much as we don't like it, grief is a normal life experience. This is human nature, expected and inevitable. It's not sinful. We know this because Jesus grieved. THE GRIEF OF JESUS When it comes to our own human experience of grief, there is no better place than the human experience of the Son of God named by Isaiah. “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV). This is part of what it means to be human after the Fall, which means we will be "acquainted with sorrow." Our Lord was on earth for a little over 30 years and had only three years of active ministry. However, he did not hesitate to spend some time in grief. He made time for mourning: those moments when he wept for Lazarus, those moments when he wept and prayed in Gethsemane, those moments when he prayed lamentations on the cross. He was even willing to spend a moment of his short but precious life mourning the hardness of the heart. My biggest battles come when I get destroyed. My dad faced a hopeless battle with cancer. Slowly, he went from a great man to a fragile and broken man. His death left me feeling empty, scared and miserable! When I think about it in life and take quite a beating and see how powerful God is, the enemy has done everything to bring you down. But it's not over yet. Next Chapter Your Faith Triumphs, Truth Triumphs Lies. Let your heart be strengthened in the plan of victory over the devil. The Lord said that as long as you maintain faith and an eternal perspective, you will continue to prevail. Push through! “The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” Isaiah 42:13 KJV I am entering a time of change where things will never be the same again. This is the beginning of a new era in my life, how can I start over. I use the lessons of the past as a guide on my journey. But my emotion is a spiritual calling. It will tug at your heart and become your desire to know Me and serve Me. It will override all other voices or desires. You will not be able to follow me fully unless you answer my calling, said the Lord. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14 KJV This test in my life will determine if I get frustrated with the process, which will make things worse, or if I will trust God to give me the wisdom I need to survive emotionally.