It is hard to imaging how the unexpected can improve your life. You can expect the unexpected. That is what happens to be over the last eighteen months. Planning our life out is common. Unforeseen circumstances can be discouraging. However, life is full of surprises, some unexplained occurrences, such as unplanned pregnancies, job loss, and economic changes. We fill calendars with dates of events and plans.
Although the unexpected can bring fear and anxiety, ultimately, it should bring us to God. He tells us repeatedly in the Word that we are to trust Him, yet when unexpected things happen, we begin to waver in our trust.
The unexpected can improve your life
Expecting the unexpected is the way we should live, but we don’t really. We like comfort. We prefer to continue with the way things are, especially if things are relatively stable. I think everyone felt this in 2020.
What could have been terribly turned out to be a blessing? Just like most people, my trajectory changed in March of 2020. I work full-time at a hospital. I have been an RN for almost 36 years. In 2020 my department was shut down and everything changed.
However someone is going to tell you it is going to be alright, you are never sure. I began to search for something in our hospital. I went to a new class and trained for a role on the COVID floor. For the next four months, I worked with other nurses helping them stay safe going in and out of patients’ rooms.
The unexpected changes made for great team work
Actually, people were brought together and the unexpected happened. We had great camaraderie building new procedures and helping with the cause. Good things came out of change. After four months, we returned to our previous jobs. Again, I was not expecting the unexpected. Our numbers were not great, and all of our staff could not return to the department. I volunteered to do whatever my director asked me to do.
Again I started a new job, and over the next eighteen months, I did many new things. I think one of the biggest challenges came from my chief nursing officer. She asked me to go back to school.
Amid these new opportunities, I decided to get my bachelor of Nursing. Considering, it was something I never thought I would do, but I did. I applied to a nursing program and got accepted at least twice.
Unexpected times can be a blessing
Starting a Bachelors’s program during a pandemic seemed kind of crazy at the time. Looking back now, it has been one of the most rewarding times of my life. I learned concepts that were new to me. I was challenged mentally with every course. Accepting these new positions and going back to school helped me to grow in unimaginable ways. Time went by, and I was getting into a groove. Then something unexpected happens.
What does volunteering lead to
In February, our hospital started a new software program. The mammography department asked for volunteers to get a mammogram. I raised my hand and volunteered because I was three years late on my diagnostic test.
February 28, on a Sunday afternoon, I headed to the mammography department to get a test. On Monday, March 1, doctors told me that my mammogram was abnormal. Then on three days later, my biopsy confirmed that I have an aggressive form of breast cancer. Talk about being in shock. In a moment, my life changed. The next few weeks involved tests, ultrasounds, MRIs, and doctors.
This was defininetly unexpected
The kind of cancer I have is aggressive. My doctor also said it is 98% treatable. No one wants to have cancer. I certainly don’t, but there have been some blessings in the midst of all of this. In my post about fear, How Much Do You Need to Know About Fear, I talk about what fear does to us sometimes.
We can’t always control the feelings of fear, but we can recognize them and learn to deal with them. This isn’t always an easy thing to do. Our thoughts can be really hard to push down. As a matter of fact, pushing our thoughts of any kind down can be difficult.
What was I expecting, Not breast Cancer and Chemotherapy
I guess I am just like everybody else, I was expecting it to be easier. The expectation was to feel good and just return to work most days. I wasn’t expecting to feel so nauseous, tired, or to have pain. It seemed like the unexpected things would be easier to deal with. I believed that driving 45 minutes away to chemotherapy would be the difficult part of this treatment.
Somedays I ask myself, “What were you expecting?” it seemed like the journey would be easy. I had convinced myself that my journey would be easier than others. I have found over the years that when I teach patients about their surgeries or procedures they are just like me, they think it will be different for them, easier. We do things in our minds that we do not realize.
Freud’s most, original contribution to human psychology was his inductive postulation in 1894 that, unconscious โdefense mechanismsโ protect, the individual from painful emotions, ideas, and realities.
Sigmund Freud, Austrian neurologist
I quote Sigmund Freud here and he is not someone I read a lot, but he mentions here that we do things to protect ourselves. For me, I wanted to believe this was going to be easy, I have prayed through this, but it has not been easy. There have been unexpected days of despair. Some days have been difficult and I have wondered if I could survive this. Even though I could not prepare my mind or my body for what was about to happen, God could.
God knew about the unexpected
My unexpected journey has taken me to unexpected places. Life at best is a guessing game and our guesses are not usually that good. We have dreams. The mind is creative, and because of that, we create stories and journeys. The stories can go a lot of different ways, right? They can go bad or good. We are human beings, not God. Only God knows the future. The more I focused on the way I wanted things to go, the worse my fears got. Because I wanted this process to go my way. My focus had to change.
So, in conclusion, what did I learn during these unexpected times?
- Unexpected circumstances are not always bad and they are not always good. The truth of this is, we are here for purposes that are not always clear. There may be one person that needs our influence in Godly ways.
God is able to stand in my yesterday, today, and tomorrow, He knows things and sees things for which I need to be prepared. – Author: Lysa TerKeurst Shattered Beyond Repair
We Can Learn From The Unexpected Things
- God cares about us. Most importantly, there are days we may not feel like it, but He does. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. Going through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 You know, God never promises our life will be without difficulty. I know that, but He does promis over and over again to be with us.
- I have learned about His presence. The beginning of 2020 I chose the goal of Dwelling with God. I did not know what God had prepared for my future in 2020. Dwelling with God was going to become a big part of my life. “The LORD says, โI will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 Having a relationship with God and resting in Him is far more important than anything else.
- In a similar fashion, God sends people to help you along the way. There are other brothers and sisters in Christ that want to serve you. This can be difficult. Accepting other peoples help can be hard. This is where humility can come in. Having days that were unmanigable physically was a bugger! Having friends that were willing to help me is a blessing.
Where do i go from here
I go one day at a time now. It is the only way I can stay focused on the facts. For me the facts are
- God is in control
- He loves us
- Living one day at a time helps to get through difficult times
- I have family, friends and God that are there for me
Honestly, In Conclusion
There are more difficult days ahead. They will not be easy. I am learning to lean on Jesus and only one day ahead. The truth is our days are number. That makes me sad sometimes because the reality is closer than it used to be. I love my life and I love my family. They make this life worth living. God knows that too. He is not cruel. He said He came to give us abundant life. An abundant life is filled with joy, love, peace, strength, and a spirit-filled soul. I have all of that and more. See you in my next post. Love you, Honestly, Janet
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