When CRAP hits the fan

Wednesday Wisdom: How to keep going when crap hits the fan.

Every summer, my husband and I tell each other that we will slow down and enjoy it. That never happens right? Because truly the enjoyment is in the fast paced crazy lifestyle that we live, but for the last few summers, life has been a whirlwind of ultra crazy--from some of the hardest most heartbreaking times in our lives to the most beautiful.

Let me paint for you a picture.

3 years ago, we were struggling with infertility after having 2 miscarriages, and were in a very dark place. I had people telling me, "maybe you weren't meant to be a mother." (ridiculous!) And we didn't know how God could turn something so hard into a blessing. Then He opened up the door for a teenage boy who grew up in an orphanage in Mexico to move in with us. We were told by tons of people how bad of an idea it was, but we felt like it was what God had called us to do.

It became one of the biggest blessings in our lives. Danny brought us out of a dark place, and soon we were laughing again and filling our nights and weekends with trips to county fairs, the zoo, and family game night.

2 years ago we were preparing for our daughter, when we found out the awful news that she wasn't growing fast enough, and they were nervous that she would be stillborn. We had to see a specialist, and were terrified for our baby's life. Around that time, Tony was asked by the head pastor to step down as a youth pastor to our church (he no longer works at that church either because of circumstances I cannot share), and we were devastated. The people who were supposed to be our support system and family--we felt like they betrayed us.

We didn't know that God was closing that door so he could open something else bigger in our lives. Soon after Dahlia was born (HEALTHY :D ) Tony was asked to be the lead pastor at a tiny country church.

Last year we had just welcomed a new foster baby--some of you know her as #littlesailorgirl into our lives, when we sadly found out that our two other beautiful foster children were going to live in kinship care. Essentially that means that they were going to live with friends of the family to the bio parents. We were heartbroken beyond measure, but clung to our beautiful #littlesailorgirl for comfort. God grew my relationship with Tony and our girls, and brought us through the hard time.

Fast forward to this year--we have had everything happen from 2 transmission failing us, to someone stealing $2500 from us, and the list goes on. We learned some pretty heartbreaking news when it comes to foster care, but then….all of the sudden, my timehop shows up with this verse yesterday:

Coincidence? I think not.

So how do you keep going when crap hits the fan? When you feel like you are drowning? When your heart feels like it might explode?

1. Turn to Jesus--the only one who can heal the hurt that is so deep that no one else can touch it.

2. Turn to your friends and family for support.

3. Keep going. You don't know what ways God will take something ugly and make it beautiful.

4. Dwell on the good instead of the bad. Focus on those blessings in your life because they are still there even when sometimes you can't see them.

5. Pray like there is no tomorrow. Pray for peace. Pray for healing. Pray for guidance. And most importantly--Pray for those around you because when you focus on others, all of the sudden you feel better about your own life.