Kay put her head on the table, plugging in her earphones. She wanted to shut out the noise of the world and all the negative thoughts threatening to consume her mind. She closed her eyes as she soaked in some music, unable to control the tears rolling down her cheeks. Afraid someone would see her crying, she sniffed unconsciously and reached into her bag for tissue…there was none.
“Excuse me”, a light voice broke the silence around her. “Are you okay?” the voice continued.
No one was supposed to see her in this state! Everyone knew her to be strong, the encourager, that bright light. After a few seconds of uncertainty, Kay raised her head up to put a face to the concerned voice. The face was filled with compassion, with her arms stretched wide for a big hug and to offer some tissue.
“I’m okay” Kay responded, touched by this rare act of kindness. Smiling despite the fact that she was feeling down, she accepted the warm hug.
“Whatever it is, you’ll be fine. Think about it this way…life isn’t that deep and your situation is far better than someone else is facing. Plus, you’re special and there’s no one else like you. Always remember that!”
“Thank you”, Kay responded, as she gratefully reached for the tissue. She actually felt better. It felt nice to be encouraged for a change, and she made a mental note to thank the “angel” later.
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Everyone, no matter how strong they appear to be, is facing one battle or another. You may be that person everyone looks up to…the first name (apart from God😄) that comes to people’s minds when they’re faced with a tough situation. But remember you’re human too.
Surrounded by Thoughts….
It’s okay to feel down, overwhelmed or even afraid. What’s not okay is when you shut others out thinking you can deal with your thoughts alone.
Sometimes you may feel the thoughts are just to much to bear, and you wish everything could just stop swirling around in your mind. Remember that your mind is a powerful tool and picks on what you feed it. So when your mind tells you stuff like “you’ll never amount to anything” counter that thought right back and speak positively.
When you envision the worst scenarios remember, just as it’s possible for bad things to happen it’s highly possible for great things to happen too. So shift your focus…it takes effort but you will be fine.
Surrounded by People…
Know that you’re surrounded by people who love you and whether you believe it or not, there is at least one person praying for you. Don’t be so “strong” that you’re afraid to accept your weaknesses or sometimes even talk about it.
You’re strong for others. Be strong for yourself too. Take good care of yourself, try and get some rest and occasionally take some time off all the noise life brings.
You’re loved, you’re surrounded, and you’re never alone. And when you feel like there’s no one to turn to:
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins & griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer. -Joseph Scriven (MHB 538)
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