Harsh Things Happen to Everyone

(If you don’t read the entire article, you will miss the most encouraging point.)

“Life is a circle of happiness, sadness, hard times, and good times. If you are going through a hard time, know that good times are on the way” – Unknown

Life isn’t always what we expect it to be. Both good and bad things happen without any reason or explanation. It is of the essence that we understand and accept those things we cannot change and focus on those things we can. Human beings are born with the ability and ingenuity to overcome and not just give up when harsh experience invade their lives. Below are some of those harsh experiences that come in life and what to do:

Debilitating Accidents or Serious Illness 

Serious health problems can arrive without notice and disrupt your life, including cancer, stroke, heart attack, or some debilitating injury. Waves of emotions may overwhelm you—like fear, worry, sadness, despair, and grief. It can cause us think there is no hope or way to cope, resulting in anxiety or depression. I know that painting a picture that we don’t like to think about but is still something we may have to face. What to do: We are not powerless; there is help to cope with anything we face. Jesus said to His disciples: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

It may be hard to be of good cheer when we face difficulty, but there is hope because we usually do overcome; things usually come and go. One of the harshest things to accept is death. The fact remains that everyone eventually dies; the mortality rate is 100%, and we can do nothing about that except be prepared to die when the time comes. Being prepared for death is the only way to ease the stress and mental anguish. I’ll say more about how to prepare for death at the end of the article.

How someone reacts emotionally to harsh events in life differs from person to person and depends on the degree of psychological distress you are experiencing; it also depends on your age, personality, the medical problem you’re facing and the prognosis, and most importantly, the amount of support you have from those closest to you.

Whatever your situation, you are not alone; many others have gone through whatever it is that you are experiencing, and many have overcome. Don’t think you are weak or powerless because you experience complex emotions, which are not abnormal. Emotions are God given for a purpose to help us survive. For instance, grieving is an emotion that should be allowed to run its course without medication except in some extreme conditions because it enables the healing process.

Friendships and Relationships Sometimes go Bad.

The only solution to some relationships is to walk away and leave them behind and start afresh; this is especially true for toxic relationships that according to scientific research can impact mortality and cause health problems.

It is also better to have a few reliable friends and relationships than to try to maintain a cadre of mediocre acquaintances. Turn your attention to improving those relationships that are meaningful instead of trying to support those that are shallow and uncommitted. Yes, I know that this is hard work and takes time.

Life flies by and quickly comes to an end.

I’ve noticed the more I age, the quicker time seems to fly by. The only solution is not to put off those things that are important to you. It is easy for several years to go by, and you have not done anything about fulfilling your dreams. It is good to set goals, but goals are not the answer if you don’t devise a plan of action to meet those goals.

Failure happens.

Those who succeed usually experience far more failure than they do success. Forget about overnight success or winning the lottery; it rarely happens. It takes planning and hard work to reach your dreams.

Tragedy strikes friends and family.

When tragedy strikes your friends or family, you can’t always change things as much as you may want to do so. We may be compelled to give advice when it is not asked for when people bring bad things on themselves through the terrible decisions they make; our advice is usually ignored. People make their own decisions, and we can’t make them for them even when we see how wrong their decisions are. Sometimes we are limited to only giving our support to a loved one or friend who is facing a harsh experience in life.

Love goes wrong.

As much as we may wish we could make someone love us, we just cannot. Love cannot be forced, nor can we force ourselves to love someone who does everything to discourage our love. You can find those who love you and want your love in return, but sometimes it takes time and effort. 

Financial losses Happen.

Saving and investing wisely is the only way to prepare to meet financial losses when they appear. The best thing is to start young and save consistently. However, if you haven’t started, it is not too late. You may have to save more, but you can make a difference. Money is protection, and if you don’t have it, it can open you up to much harm and cause you to miss some of the more exciting things in life.

Sometimes Family and Friends will Fail You in Your Time of Need.

Sorry, but your most dependable help is usually yourself. You may have some family and friends willing to help you, but sometimes you are the best help you have. However, there is one who is better than your strongest friend and is the Lord, but you have to have a relationship with Him if you expect answers to your prayers.

How to deal with the harsh things when they happen.

We can allow harsh experiences to disrupt our life and restrict our ability to move on and just let life pass us by. There are some things we can do:

First, some people get discouraged because they cannot make a decent living, and the reason could be that they have yet to make the preparation required for success. Any degree of success usually requires learning skills through formal education or self-directed education, hard work, and honesty. 

Second, there is a need to prepare for the worst because “Harsh Things Happen to Everyone.” You are inevitably going to face harsh things in life, so get ready for them:

1. Anticipate illness.
2. Put together a plan for dealing with illness when it hits.
3. Have a personal physician that cares for you and is available when you need them.
4. Have a good and dependable medical insurance plan.
5. Build a good relationships with family and friends that are willing to help and support you when you need them.
6. Your responsibility is to plan ways to protect yourself spiritually, medically, and financially. No one else is going to do this for you.

Lessons To Be Learned from Harsh Experiences

“Sometimes life gets hard on you, not to push you down, but to say keep moving. Not every problem in life means it’s bad.” – Maria Uman

If we are willing to learn the lessons from our experiences and continue with our lives, the setbacks are usually temporary, and new opportunities will come our way in time. Below are some lessons to be learned when harsh things happen.

Quit stressing over things you can’t control, and start focusing on living your best life and pursuing those things that bring satisfaction. Learn lessons from your harsh experiences:

• Learn from your failures; they are stepping stones to success. Even if you fail after working hard, don’t give up. Success does not always come quickly. Edison failed a thousand times to invent the light bulb, but he didn’t count them as failure. He said it was learning what did not work.

• Your family may sometimes fail to meet your expectations, but in most cases, they are the most important people you will ever know. They usually care more than anyone for you.
• Learn to depend on yourself because there will be times when you are one of the best helps you have. You are the one responsible for your decisions and your actions. Strive to be your best self.
• Learn to take care of your body; it is the only one you will have for the rest of your life. Please don’t ruin it with drugs, tobacco, and negligence. Damage done when you are young cannot be reversed when you are older. 
• Please don’t waste your time; it is your most valuable and unrenewable asset.
• Learn from bad relationships and move on with your life.
• Don’t let complaining, condemning, and criticizing identify your personality.
• Learn to manage your money well; it will empower your life and enable you to do those things you desire.
• Continuing learning; there is so much knowledge available today that will help you to live better.
• Making mistakes is human; learn from them instead of letting them get you down.
• Slow down and enjoy your journey through life.
• Do your best and leave the outcome to God.
• Realize that happiness is a choice and comes from within and is not the result of material things that do not fulfill you but often become a disappointment.

Now for the Good News

In the midst of it all the harsh experiences in life, there is good news. There is only one thing that matters most in life, and if you don’t have that one thing, there is no hope, regardless of how successful you become or how well things on earth may go for you. That one thing is finding inner peace, which is the key to meaning in life; it brings joy and happiness. We talk about having a positive attitude; inner peace is the highest form of positivity. When you have inner peace, it opens the way to deal with every situation in your life and helps you feel uplifted every day, regardless of your experience. 

So, what is inner peace, and from where does it come? The Apostle Paul, in his farewell message to the church at Corinth, is an encouragement for us showing us how to find inner peace with God: “Finally brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (II Corinthians 13:11). Paul also spoke of a peace that goes beyond our understanding: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Millions from all walks of life have discovered the inner peace that only comes from God; it starts by having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son. When we trust him as our Lord and Savior, we begin a new life different from anything we have ever experienced. Is that something you desire right now? God has made having a relationship with Him so simple that a little child can find the way. 

Peace-giving salvation is as simple as A-B-C

“A” Accept the fact that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“B” Believe in your heart that Jesus died, was buried, and God raised Him from the dead: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

“C” Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus: “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:8-17).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). 

Prayer does not save; it expresses the trust in the Lord already accepted in the heart. Here is an example of the sinner’s prayer: “Dear Lord, I believe Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the grave to pay for my sins. I repent of my sins, trust Him for forgiveness, and commit to following Him for the rest of my life. Amen.”

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