Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler Ross writes about the 5 stages of death and dying which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Working in the healthcare field as a Nurse and aide for 5 years I have witnessed each of these at one time or another. People who are given a poor prognosis because of a terminal illness or a diagnoses of a crohnic condition which they will have to treat the rest of their lives all experience this. I have seen people jump around from stage to stage, go back and forth between stages and have also witnessed family members go through these stages along with them. Its interesting though because I think our spirits can also go through these stages. Our spirits can go through the death and dying process during a hard time in our lives and I think thats ok but whats not ok is the death part. Maybe we have gone through a trauma in our lives, or a storm and we find our spirits battling one or all of these stages.
Denial is the first stage and a place where i know we have all been. Regardless of what we are going through we just dont want to believe that its really happening we dont want to stop to think that its really our life. Anger the next stage is tough because I think there we become mad at God alot of time. We think "why would you allow this to happen" we get mad and at times can allow our anger to cut off our relationship with Christ.
Bargaining is something I know I have done which is the next step in the process, we plead with God for something and promise something else. "oh please God if you will only let this relationship work i will be a better christian," or "please God i really need this job to work out and if it does i will never turn to sin again." This stage is tricky and I think can take us back to the anger mode if what "we want" doesnt happen. We bargain with God because we want things to turn out "our way" when in fact alot of the time it doesnt. That doesnt mean God doesnt love us it just means whatever we were bargaining for wasnt the best that God had for us even though it may take us a long time to realize this.
Depression is the next stage and a hard one. We get so caught up in our circumstances that we isolate ourselves from loved ones and from God. We feel sad and unmotivated because things arent working out "our way." When we need God most in the midst of this stage is when people often tune Him out. Instead of running to the cross and to loved ones around us we shut ourselves off from everything.
Acceptance is the final stage and eventually regardless of the circumstance I think we come to this point in our lives. We realize that regardless of whats happened and whats going on "it is what it is" we can't go back and erase our mistakes, we can't go back and change the diagnosis, we can't go back and redo that relationship so we must accept what is happening in the "now" and move on. There is freedom in this stage however because we finally let go of the past and focus on the future. In life its not always about the prize its about the journey. When the race is done and completed what will we take with us more...the prize or the lessons we have learned from the journey??? I think our spirits all go through these stages at one time or another in the midst of a crisis in our lives but coming to a place of acceptance and acknowledgment that God is so much bigger than whatever is going on we find freedom. We finally let go of all we have held on to for so long and allow the chains to be taken off. We come to a point where "we finally get it." A point where we say "ok God i'm not sure why or how I have gotten to this point but I'm done I give up I accept what is happening and I give up my control and plans to you."
Whatever you are going through in life right now try to look and see what stage you are in??? Know that regardless of where you are or what you are going through God is there....He is not suprised by your pain or suffering but He is there in the midst of it. Allow yourself to learn from the process and find healing and freedom in accepting whatever it is thats going on and knowing that God is bigger and He can meet you right where you are.
Denial is the first stage and a place where i know we have all been. Regardless of what we are going through we just dont want to believe that its really happening we dont want to stop to think that its really our life. Anger the next stage is tough because I think there we become mad at God alot of time. We think "why would you allow this to happen" we get mad and at times can allow our anger to cut off our relationship with Christ.
Bargaining is something I know I have done which is the next step in the process, we plead with God for something and promise something else. "oh please God if you will only let this relationship work i will be a better christian," or "please God i really need this job to work out and if it does i will never turn to sin again." This stage is tricky and I think can take us back to the anger mode if what "we want" doesnt happen. We bargain with God because we want things to turn out "our way" when in fact alot of the time it doesnt. That doesnt mean God doesnt love us it just means whatever we were bargaining for wasnt the best that God had for us even though it may take us a long time to realize this.
Depression is the next stage and a hard one. We get so caught up in our circumstances that we isolate ourselves from loved ones and from God. We feel sad and unmotivated because things arent working out "our way." When we need God most in the midst of this stage is when people often tune Him out. Instead of running to the cross and to loved ones around us we shut ourselves off from everything.
Acceptance is the final stage and eventually regardless of the circumstance I think we come to this point in our lives. We realize that regardless of whats happened and whats going on "it is what it is" we can't go back and erase our mistakes, we can't go back and change the diagnosis, we can't go back and redo that relationship so we must accept what is happening in the "now" and move on. There is freedom in this stage however because we finally let go of the past and focus on the future. In life its not always about the prize its about the journey. When the race is done and completed what will we take with us more...the prize or the lessons we have learned from the journey??? I think our spirits all go through these stages at one time or another in the midst of a crisis in our lives but coming to a place of acceptance and acknowledgment that God is so much bigger than whatever is going on we find freedom. We finally let go of all we have held on to for so long and allow the chains to be taken off. We come to a point where "we finally get it." A point where we say "ok God i'm not sure why or how I have gotten to this point but I'm done I give up I accept what is happening and I give up my control and plans to you."
Whatever you are going through in life right now try to look and see what stage you are in??? Know that regardless of where you are or what you are going through God is there....He is not suprised by your pain or suffering but He is there in the midst of it. Allow yourself to learn from the process and find healing and freedom in accepting whatever it is thats going on and knowing that God is bigger and He can meet you right where you are.
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