Have you ever just dropped off the radar, gone into hiding, shrunk back into your shell?  I have.  The three D’s can do that to you: Depression, Disappointment, Discord.

Depression can grow from; sickness, loss, or betrayal. Which often leads to the next two D’s.  If you’re not careful, all three of those can lead to the worst D of all, total Destruction.

No one wants that.

One moment I was on the top of a mountain.  Elated, I was getting back into writing, a great job landed square in my lap from the blue.  My husband came in one afternoon, “Great news, I got a raise!”  Our finances were looking better than ever. Our kids were moving into their new future. Things seems to be shaping up for for each one.

We felt great and after six months of sickness and overcoming injuries, my husband and I were back to our old selves, going and doing.  We were amazed at God’s goodness.

“Thank you God, thank you Jesus, thank you for all your goodness.  I love you so much!” I was getting up each morning excited, happy, expectant.

Then out of no where, “BAM!”

Our mountain of euphoria came down hard.  Like an unexpected earthquake. There we lie in the rumble bewildered, wondering what just happened and why.

I found the joy that was only a day old, turned to anger, resentment, bitterness.  I found myself feeling like God abandoned us.  I couldn’t understand why all the rich blessings, answers to prayers, healing after months of sickness, only to be back in the same place but worse.

Image credit: Pixabay (public domain)

That was followed by regret, feelings of despair.  Immediately I went into FIX-IT mode.

I’m the mom and wife, I’ll fix it all.  But I couldn’t.  I made myself sick, gave myself stomach ulcers, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, ate too much, had headaches, cried, developed several personalities that changed from, “I’m a failure” to “I’m so mad!”

It was during these three months that God has taught me a list of things.

1. Moms are not super heroes, they have a limit but God doesn’t. 
2. Pride is very deceptive, feels great but what a let down afterwards. I learned, really learned, what God’s Grace is all about.
3. Mountain top experiences are few and they are awesome, but it’s the valleys that equip you.
4. In stillness and quietness strength is gained.  Worrying and trying to fix everything is exhausting.
5. Committing everything to God is a minute by minute exercise. It’s the one exercise that builds a strong muscle of faith.
6. Being thankful defeats doubts.
7. Praise is healing power to the mind, emotions, and spirit like antibiotics is to the body.
8. God can turn your devastations into destinations of opportunities.
9. Being pressured and pressed can also bring out the good stuff, (think oranges).
10. The best lesson that God taught me was that He loved me! You see before I focused on how much I loved God, now I focus on how much God loves me.

I needed to realize that my life was merely changing not ending.  I needed to let go and let Jesus take the wheel.

SOOOOOOO hard.

It is when you are under the rubble of your mountain trying to find a way out, panic will strike your heart, thoughts will turn into the worst case scenario, faith begins to wobble, survival mode kicks in. You forget that only moments before you were standing on the mountain thinking about how much you love God, how awesome He is, all the wonderful things He’s done.

How quickly that happens.  When it does, don’t allow thoughts of failure or what-if’s or I should haves come in and set up shop. Drive them away! Spend time in God’s word, Read it out loud, turn some praise music on and fill yourself with excellent teachings. This is practical faith… do what you can, start where you are, use what you have. Don’t turn it all off and simmer in your anger and lash out at God.  Sure, He has the power to do anything, but who are we to decide what’s best?  We have such finite minds, God’s is infinite.  Who are we to tell God what He should have done.  What if this terrible, horrible, no-good season is the beginning of something more wonderful than we could ever imagine?

“How can you even say something wonderful will come from this, I’ve lost my child, my spouse, my job, my home, my whole family?!“

I say it from faith, from loss in my own life, from knowing that God loves you. To tell you that believing this way is a much better alternative than believing the opposite that I’ve done so many times myself. I’m not downplaying your pain, I know it’s not fair.

Don’t stay stuck in the four D’s, don’t let your hurts, pains, losses, disappointments, devastations, discords, or anything else define your destiny. Your destiny lies in who you are. You are not a loser, not a failure, not too weak, not too hurt, you are not powerless or pitiful.  If you know and have accepted Jesus into your life, then you have everything you need.  He has come to live in you and through you. You have the power He has. He has not forsaken you, not let you down, not betrayed you, not forgotten or condemned you. Jesus is for you! He is the way, the truth, the light.

You can be powerful, right where you are!

Let your destruction be a new destination into something more than you ever thought possible.  Don’t give up, don’t back down, don’t let the rest of your life be stolen by your real enemy.

The lesson I want to leave with you is this.  When part of your life is no more, it opens up room for something new.  Don’t let that something new be one of the four D’s. 

Be courageous and believe for something excellent!

If you’ve never accepted Christ as your savior, let today be your day of change. It’s easy. And you can say something like this, 
“God I want and need you to change my life. I believe that Jesus died for me. I ask that you fill my heart, forgive me of my sins. Help me to know how to live. Help me to know you better and know how much you Love me. I commit my whole life to you from this day forward and ask that you lead me every step of the way into my destiny. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”