There is no escaping hard times.

What do you do when things don't go as planned? Yeah, I know. I’m kind of harping on this subject lately. Here’s the deal…my mom took a fall and is now in a nursing home. Let’s just say she’s not a happy camper about that, so I spend lots of my time putting out fires she’s setting. That puts my writing on the back burner when it should be boiling on the front.

So, today’s question is, how do you cope with all the things you need to do when other things come along and hit you in the head?

Let go.

Well, obviously, unless you’ve got superhero abilities or an extra three hands, you’re not going to get everything done. Embrace that thought. No, really. Give it a big ol’ hug and don’t let go, because if you entertain the notion that you’ll still be able to slap dinner on the table or even be able to do something with your hair other than a ponytail, then you’re adding stress upon stress. Let go of some of your “normal” duties. It doesn’t mean you won’t get back to them eventually. It just means you’re in survival mode now.

Play a mind game.

MIND game. Sheesh. Quit reaching for your joystick. This mind game is a lot harder to navigate than Mario Cart. When life clicks over to the spin cycle, it’s easy to get crabby. To focus on all the ugliness when you’re in the midst of a Jurassic Park scene gone to the bad place. It takes effort, but force yourself to come up with one blessing every hour. Look hard for it. And when you see a blessing, as little as it may be—a bird singing or a gulp of coffee—live in that tiny split second and enjoy it. Positive thinking sounds like a stupid waste of time but, truly, it will affect your mood.

Bring it to God.

I was just hanging out in Exodus this morning where God tells Moses, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people. I have heard their cries of distress. I am aware of their suffering.” You think God only sees, hears, and is aware of others and not you? Nope. Not so. Bring your heartaches to your creator. He sees. He hears. He knows. It won’t necessarily end all your hard times, but knowing you have a powerful God who loves you so deeply will give you strength to face those hard times.