Welcome to the 2nd Round of Weekly Topic Saturdays!
Once again, I pray that your week was a productive and eventful one with positive regard. Welcome back to those who have been with me here at A Golden Dream. For my first-timers, a great big hello there, if you haven't already please check out the previous posts, Motivational Monday #01: Get to Work and Weekly Topic Saturdays #01: The Action to Start...Somewhere and also Motivational Monday #02: Speak Life in Everything You Do.
Shout out to the viewers, and the people commenting on my previous posts, I thank you greatly. Please don't hesitate to join the conversation, there are no right or wrong answers or questions. I'm not proclaiming to know everything, I am simply just discussing and picking topics on things that I personally have gone through and that I know would help someone.
There Is Power in a Testimony and Everyone Has One!
Trigger warning! This blog contains sensitive information and maybe a trigger for some!
The bible tells us, " We overcome our enemy by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of our testimony."
This scripture proves that there is an anointing and an unmatchable power in our testimonies as well as defeating our adversary in the process, with the word of God as our weapon. A testimony, for those who do not know, is a form of praise and honor to Christ. Sharing your testimony is a MUST for anyone in need of hearing one. It is a form of expression that is focused on God and not on self.
Did you know that there is a testimony for every situation that comes up in our lives? It shocked me too y’all! There's always an experience or an emotion that we all have felt that can be empathized or shared with another about how God somehow brought you out of a situation or blessed you with something you didn't have before.
In my experience, God always does one, if not all of these three things:
Bestows blessings upon you or adds to one's life
Gives us moments of revelation or clarity and understanding
Brings you out of a situation or problem
(Correct me if I’m wrong, once again this is what I've experienced myself, comment below if you've experienced the same things or something other than these 3 points. Remember there are no right or wrong answers!)
"With Anything Dealing with God, There's Always a Purpose Behind It, PERIOD!"
There are so many stories compacted together when forming a testimony. There are so many trials and tribulations that I've failed at, at one point, and passed in another to tell you all of it would be a lot to process at one time. I've decided that throughout this blog I will share elements, or layers if you will, of my testimony instead. I might add a Testimony Tuesdays to the agenda! Hmm, will see!
Before writing my testimony for this post, I was going to spill my guts out and tell you my entire life's story with the facts in chronological order about what had taken place, whew, thank the Lord for clarity and a revelation! Instead, I'm going to start with one staple emotion about my life that has evolved and has had a starring role in all aspects of my testimony.
Let's Get Into It!
I believe that the critical foundation of my testimony is an emotion called loneliness. Loneliness or being lonely means to be socially, mentally, and emotionally distant from the world as well as those around you.
Transparent Moment: The thought of being alone caused me great anxiety throughout my life, it was the base emotion that later transitioned into anxiety.
You may be asking, oh wow, that's interesting how so Sherronda?
Just wait a minute...let me tell you!
To My Knowledge, I believe loneliness showed its dark face when my father first took a contracting job overseas in Kuwait. It was agreed that it would only be for three months, so three months turned into three years real quick. Being a daddy's girl, I was devastated, and when he finally came back to the states our daddy and daughter bond wasn't the same at all.
Nevertheless, the feeling of loneliness returned when I was getting ready to go to college for the first time in 2011. Once my father left overseas, I naturally relied on my mother more. Within this time-frame of my father leaving, my mother was in a car accident and suffered greatly. Over time I became my mom's right-hand man, I cooked, cleaned, took her to physical therapy, doctor's appointments, anything my mom needed I did for her. She became my rock and I hers. We were inseparable. Hindsight being 20/20, being what my mother needed at the time was causing me to have feelings of resentment, more anxiety, and stress later in life because I was forced to grow up and mature so fast rather than having the typical childhood experience. College approached and it's time for me to move out, not down the street, but a whole hour and a half away. Leaving my mom caused me a great deal of loneliness and in addition to that, anxiety.
After the tail end of my parent's divorce, I experienced various array of emotions. One being....you guessed it, loneliness. My parents separated in 2010 and after that followed their divorce and in the midst of it all, I felt alone. I was conflicted, I felt like if I was spending more time with one parent, then I was betraying the other. Within the process of their divorce, I was experiencing life that I needed my parent's presence and they were wrapped up in their own issues.
With that being said loneliness is a real and serious thing and shouldn't be taken lightly but there are always ways to cope. Remember, loneliness doesn't last always, neither does trouble. One thing this year that I realized is that parents are flawed human beings, they do what they can with what they have. Parents are not given a road map, or a guild book when they have children. They are constantly learning as they go, like everyone else. I love both of my parents unconditionally, with them I've learned the biggest lessons; Forgiveness, Love, Compassion, and Understanding. The bible tells us, to honor our parents and our days will belong. This post is really difficult for me because it's so personal and so raw, but it's apart of me.
Here Are Some Ways to Cope with Loneliness:
Do things that will make you happy and that will pass the time
Get in touch with family and/ or friends to keep you motivated and in good spirits!
Connect or find a support group on Facebook, or the internet or in your local community!
Validate it, and talk to a therapist or trusted friend!
In closing, don't suffer in silence, make the change, and take action. In my long-suffering, I had to make a conscious decision to want to feel and do better for myself. So, thereby, I created something...this blog to be honest. Recognizing that my feelings are valid, my love for my parents will always remain the same.
"Even if my mother or father abandoned me, the LORD will hold me close"
(Psalms 27:10)
As I Close, Ask Yourself These Questions:
How many of you have felt lonely?
What got you out of your loneliness? How did you cope?
Is loneliness a growing problem for you? Why or why not
How do you keep loneliness at bay?
Does loneliness ever make you question your existence or purpose in life?
Does anxiety play a role in your life?
Disclaimer: This blog may or may not be a trigger for some, if you are having or have thought of deep loneliness or suicide please contact the number down below. There's always someone to talk to.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.
1-800-273-8255
Help is available
Speak with a counselor today
*Chat-line available or call in*
With love, remember that you are not alone. God is always there with you watching over you and protecting you. The bible tells us, Have not I commanded you?, Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1: 9)
Remember, A Golden Dream is a safe and judgment-free environment where we are building a fellowship. Our fellowship will be strong, where we can lean on God and each other for support. If you see your fellow peer in need of encouragement make it your business to help them in any way you can.
“Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body"
(Proverbs 16:24)
~Just Breathe...A Golden Dream~
Amen.