There are seasons of your life that may feel like a straight up:

Nightmare

You may find yourself alive and be like:

this is trash and that’s on fire! How am I suppose to climb higher? and get up outta this.

IDK the answer

What I do know is that staring at it in disbelief and doing nothing – makes it worse.

I believe we are to do what we can to put the fire out, but if it’s not doing any good.

Let the forest burn down!

Did you know that sometimes forests are intentionally set on fire?!? That in it’s destruction it creates the environment for fresh blooms. Eventually, of course. It’s not overnight. Learn about:

Controlled, Prescribed Burns

Perhaps, that’s what God allows to happen in our lives. Even in our own fires there is a boundary line. See Job in the Bible.

Call on Jesus’ name through the pain! If you gotta’ remain in the burn and learn for a while – might as well be real about your feelings as your dealing and healing.

Find ways to laugh at the destruction. This may seem difficult to do. Here’s what I do. I remove myself from the storyline and observe it like a movie and just laugh. It’s like we all are getting prank’d and punk’d non-stop, to various levels. Then bring your mind to the fact that in movies – once the character going through straight chaos gets through the middle – they get to the victory!

Coach yourself in the middle and keep on dribbling! Even if slowly.

Keep shooting your shots even if it flops. After all, if you feel you’re in a nightmare – what is another flop?

Sometimes, you may be barely able to get your arm up to shoot. That is okay. Do what you can and go for it later. Focus on what you can do with gratitude, not beating yourself up.

When life feels like a nightmare commit to giving someone else a dream experience. Think okay – how can I help them get a little relief from the nightmare they are living in. It may be a smile, a hug, a note, a small gift – do it without expecting anything. In shifting to give someone else a dream experience – you get a little bit of it too – even if for just a few moments.

How do you help yourself and others through “nightmare” experiences?

Have you seen the beauty on the other side of a personal, prescribed burn?

Share below.

Let It Burn,