How to Look Ahead in Good and Bad

Have you been wondering how to look ahead in times good and bad? What about when a loved one dies? It's never easy is it? Sometimes it's so hard to overcome how they died, and it could be that if they were young, you just can't seem to get over the fact that they were so young and had so much life left to live.

It could be that you are reading this, and you are wondering how you will be able to look ahead because you lost your job. In a tough economy you feel that all of the odds are against you, and that you just can't seem to overcome what is happening in the world and in your life.

So, what do you do? How do you get to a place of normalcy? How do you begin to let go and let God? It's tough to get going, and while you won't forget it, time will heal all wounds, and you can learn how to look ahead to better things that God has for you.

I want to share with you how I know this is true, and how you can apply this to your life each and every day for as long as you live.

How to Look Ahead Even in Death 

It has been said that one of the toughest things to encounter is the death of a child, and although I have never had that experience and pray I don't, I have a dear friend who lost her son at the young age of 13. The story is one that is so hard to believe and comprehend for a few reasons.

Her son had been battling leukemia for quite some time in the Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, and through all of the ups and downs, the long days and nights, and the treatments and rallies, he beat it. Two weeks later, he was hanging out with some friends, when he was in a car accident, and he was the only one that died.

Uncanny.

Is it possible to learn how to look ahead after you lose a child? What about the feeling of safety and relief after his victory that you weren't so sure that he would overcome? This is a tough one, and one that you may or may not understand.

We all have pain, and while some of us may handle it with deep emotional turmoil, some of us are rather strong. We weep, we deal with it, we hurt, but we learn to go on. It's never easy is it? As a parent, do you not expect for your children to outlive you?

So, where do you start? How do you begin again, and can you ever have a normal life? The answer is, yes you can, and yes, you will!

Learning How to Look Ahead Even When it's Tough

When things get tough in life, and they will, there is nothing wrong with expressing how you feel. This is part of being human. However, it's important to identify what is happening and deal with it as soon as possible. So, what do you do?

The following steps are what I highly recommend, but as always seek Godly counsel including:

• Let yourself grieve, you are human 
• Don't try to hide how you feel, again, it's your emotions and you are human 
• Openly express how you feel, and share this with others 
• Take it to God, and spend time in prayer (you can't pray too much!) 
• Spend time in God's Word (you can't spend too much time in God's Word!) 
• Seek Godly counsel from your Pastor as well as a professional that is a Christian 
• Join a support group where available in your area 
• Journal

These things are all important, and each of us has our own ways of dealing with things. As humans we have to be kind to ourselves and know that we have the right to feel sad, or down, or discouraged. However, the great news is that we don't have to stay in that place of grief and sadness. 

It's time that we learned how to share with others just how we feel, that is courageous! It's easy to hide how you feel, and ultimately it's not productive or healthy to do that. Don't try to carry your burdens alone, it's not what God has called us to do. 

Cry out to Him, and lean on Godly brothers and sisters. Be courageous and share your heart, so that you can learn how to look ahead, in all things good and bad to lead a productive life!