Don’t give up during hard times

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove. I’d fly away and be at rest.”

— Psalm 55:6 (NIV)

Life sometimes gives us a heavy load. Sometimes it’s due to choices we have made. Other times, it’s due to choices others have made that have a negative effect on us.

I recall going through a time in my life that was a hardship not of my choosing, and it overwhelmed me.

This wasn’t the life I dreamed about. I felt like running away. I even prayed the scripture verse in Psalm 55:6. I wished I could fly away. I wanted to be anywhere but experiencing my problems. I found comfort in this verse by King David, knowing I wasn’t the only one who has felt this way.

When life seems overwhelming, we want to run and hide, bury our heads. Oftentimes, we are shocked thinking, “this can’t be happening to me.”

In my case, the first thing I found helpful was a little acceptance for the situation. I told myself, “You have to face your problems.”

I sought the advice of someone I considered a wise friend, whose counsel helped me sort out what I needed to do.

Due to financial hardships this problem caused, I felt embarrassed. I could hardly pay my bills. I needed to survive and stop feeling overwhelmed and worrying about what others might think.

I found a scripture verse that explained how every seven years, God granted debt cancellation to help the people in need. I used this Bible story to ease my mind.

It was a scary time, because my budget was very tight and I prayed my way for God’s provision each month, not knowing what to expect.

I was also dealing with a broken dream at the time, so I felt double emotional turmoil, due to my broken heart.

Over time, through living on a tight budget and taking on extra opportunities God brought my way, my finances increased. With time, I rebuilt my credit and my life. And my broken heart healed.

Through it all God taught me to face life’s difficulties by accepting them. I learned a valuable lesson to care for and approve of myself, regardless of how rejected I felt by life.

I also found forgiveness lightened my load. Praying and reading my Bible brought new insights, and most of all, I learned when I felt like running away, to face my problems and lean on God to bring me through them.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author of the book “Letters To A Friend,” speaker, life and writing coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com.