Finding Yourself in Turbulent Times?

Over the past 8 weeks we’ve been overwhelmed by the state of economy. Listening to the constant nag of the media telling us how far in debt and how deep in recession we’re headed.

Everyone that has anything invested in the stock market, including your retirement plans have taken a huge hit. If you haven’t looked at this yet, DON’T, it will be depressing. For my generation, we have less to worry about in this part of the crisis because we probably don’t have that much invested and have plenty of time to wait for the market to replenish, balance out, rise, whatever you want to call it. For you that are hoping to retire in the next few years, you’re probably wandering what that plan is going to look like now.

What’s even worse, is the fact that jobs are being lost. Businesses are closing, going bankrupt or not paying employees. Just this week, Citi Group just laid off 53,000 people. One of the most stable financial companies in the world.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve seen this locally and first hand. It seems like I’m a magnet for those that have either lost their job or those that are miserable because they can sense their passion not lining up with what they spent the majority of their time doing. I guess I know a little bit about that.

So what do you do when times get tough or better yet, impossible and leaving you feeling lost?

I believe that a sense of suffering is essential to life and truly following our creator. It’s in those times of suffering we get a feeling for why we need to believe in something, something of hope. That we need to believe that it’s going to get better if we remain faithful. That if only someone would help me just get ahead or get through this time, things will get back to normal.

If you think back to the hardest parts of life and recall how you got out of that situation, I trust that you’ll find a person or a group of people that stepped into your suffering with you and stuck with you until you made it through that season. Do you need this again? Do you need to be this to someone else?

And if I choose to believe that there is always someone that is worse off than I am. That their challenge is bigger than mine, then I have to believe that I can still serve in my own suffering. I believe that I only begin to rise out of my own suffering when I choose to step into someone elses. I also believe I find clarity in my own suffering when I begin to sort out someone elses.

So if you are finding yourself in a situation like this, what are you doing with your time? Are you trying to find your way out of suffering? If you’ve been laid off of work and are waiting for the next job to come around, could you be serving someone else?

Right now, there are two guys that were just laid off at a guy’s house putting in some flooring and then will move onto hanging some cabinets. The guy they are helping is 70 years old, has MS, has some major family turmoil, and moved into a trailer that needed some work. What’s really happening here is two guys are finding healing and direction by serving someone else. I already know that they are feeling closer to purpose right now than they have in a LONG time. I’m not sure if they will bring clarity to the guy they are serving, but I do know that they will be reconnected to what’s right in our world.

I can only tell you stories and point you in the right direction, I can’t choose for you no matter how much I want to.

I am praying for you. I’m praying that hope would be restored. I’m praying that you find purpose in your suffering. I’m praying for peace in your heart.