Healing, Being Upbeat and Talking to God

 

Created with Input from Spirit in Canva by the Author

I try to be upbeat. I do this for myself. I do it for my husband. I’ve paid my dues and come through to the other side. I like to say I’m healed. Well, I’m not all that sure things work that way. Yes, it is helpful to be upbeat. That means you might tend to rise out of the ruts more quickly.

But stress can take a lot out of a person. I had a job where I worked for many years. I’m talking about a lot of years. I came to feel that the people in the company were like family to me. It was difficult, as any job must be in the beginning, to learn. I’d say it took me an additional couple of years to know all the things I needed to learn to work and be comfortable doing it.

What I didn’t count on was how the job changed through the years. Laws changed. Our procedures changed. The office equipment changed. Programs changed. I was in a place where a year didn’t go by, and I was learning something new.

So, I became accustomed to learning things. Even the things that only happened once in a while, I had to remember which, if you’re old like me, became more difficult as time went by.

When you heal emotionally over something, I think there are steps you go through. First, you have to recognize that something is wrong. It might be the “something” that happened thirty years ago, and you’re just now realizing something is wrong. It could be that a co-worker or a relative comes to you and asks why you are behaving in a particular way. You don’t know. You’re living. We all have ways of coping. But they might have seen something that you don’t recognize.

Then, you start to think about it. You’re not sure what happened. You think you’re all grown up. Why should you need help now at forty years old when you’re supposed to be a responsible adult? Hey, we cope. We deal with stuff. We stuff the stuff. We are all so good at ignoring things.

I propose that you start writing about your stuff. This isn’t something that you show anybody. It’s private. This is where you can stand up on a soapbox and holler at the world. This is where you list every piece of clothing you need to mend (God, I hope you don’t do that). It is the mundane.

But it’s also a place where you try not to lie to yourself. You spill the beans in a book. Or, you could do this on a computer if you wanted to. If it’s a computer, think about putting a password on it, especially if there are others in your household who use that same computer. What you don’t need is your sister-in-law wanting to know what pissed you off. It’s none of her business. Well, it is if you smack her over the head with a frying pan, but we’re not going to let it get so out of hand.

This is you finally saying you might need some help.

Journaling is one way.

Talking to God is another.

I used to say prayers regularly, but nobody ever said anything to me. Eventually, I gave up. I thought I was such a horrible person that I would forever be excluded from God’s presence. It turns out It doesn’t work that way. Someday, while you’re out in the back weeding the garden, just say in your head, “Hey, God? Are you there?” You might not hear anything, but that doesn’t matter. Somebody always listens. “God, I had a really hard time last night. I drank too much, and I can’t remember some of it. I’m not sure how I got home. I don’t have much money left. I know drinking is expensive, but I just can’t seem to quit.”

There, you got that off your chest. Nobody said anything to you, but you had a heart-to-heart with God. Three days later, somebody calls you and asks if you will come with them to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. What? You aren’t an alcoholic, and they only asked because they think they need it, and they are afraid to go alone. What could it hurt?  You might think that God answered your prayers.

Help can come from any direction. You may find books in the library that aim to help people navigate personal crises.  You might even find a book lying on a park bench. You pick it up to see that it is a book explaining how to meditate. Did you know that not only will a practice of meditation help to calm you down, but it’s also a great way to be in prayer.

I’m not telling you to talk to God. I’m not telling you to go to church or an AA meeting. I’m asking you to start listening to yourself. That’s all. It’s where a path toward healing starts, with you.

Thanks for reading. Stop by again sometime.

Pauline Evanosky