In today's podcast, I describe our stay at Boston Children's Hospital in these terms: "At times, hospital life resembled a jumble of clothes tossed about in a laundromat dryer. All the colors blurred together in a swirl of confusion, with no order or design. Where were the iron and sturdy ironing board to smooth out the details before we were deluged with a new assignment? Would we never starch our life back into some crisp, manageable dimension? I yearned for the smell of the uncomplicated outdoors, clothes billowing in a soft, clean breeze, strung together in an orderly line."
If you are in the middle of a complicated place right now, or you know someone who is, here are some specific practical steps to take to prevent the crises from crushing you:
• Call friends to pray for you
• When you can’t pray because you are overwhelmed, simply repeat the prayer, “Jesus, help me.” He will.
• Hide yourself in God's Word – keep your Bible nearby and read even one verse at a time and allow your mind to dwell on that one promise, one thought from God’s Word. Wrap your emotions of fear, anxiety, and panic inside the strong arms of Scripture.
• Ask those who stand beside you, call you on the phone, or sit next to you, to read the Scriptures aloud in order to focus your mind on God's faithfulness and provision.
• Speak your fears aloud. Share them with your spouse or a good friend who knows how to listen.
• Journal your deepest concerns and fears. Use your journal as a place to write out your prayers to the Lord.
• Slip away from the crises and take a walk. Squeeze in exercise somehow.
• Listen to Praise and Worship music as much as possible.
• Allow yourself to cry. Tears release tension.
• Make a list of everything you can be thankful for and thank God for them.
• Allow people to serve you, help you, and care for you. If they ask, “What can I do to help,” give them some specific task that would help you. Receive the gift of their love and know you will have the chance to serve others another day.