How to Respond Positively to the Unexpected
I got out of bed this morning, walked down our upstairs hallway, and began to walk downstairs. I could see the light of the morning from downstairs, but it seemed lighter than I expected.
Imagine my surprise to get to the bottom of the stairs, look out our sliding glass patio door, and see yet more snow! It is not unheard of for it to snow in southern Ontario this time of year, but it is still unusual.
I chuckled to myself when I saw the snow, and my dog loved it, but my kids were disappointed and a little upset when they saw it. They don’t yet understand that early spring can still be cold and the temperature can range from below freezing to quite warm through most of April. For them, snow on the ground in the morning means a cold day, and changes their plans from playing outside to being bored inside with nothing to do.
Snow on the ground in spring is certainly not the worst thing that can happen in life. There are many more things that can happen unexpectedly that will rock our worlds. Things such as someone close to you dying, losing your job, or being in a car accident often happen unexpectedly.
When the unexpected happens, how do you respond?
For some of us, an unexpected event sends us into a fight-or-flight response. We get stressed out, withdraw into ourselves, and struggle to find peace moving forward.
Others of us are able to respond more positively. While the unexpected event creates stress and anxiety, some are able to stay fixed on a better way.
It matters what we think about. It matters how we see ourselves, what values we hold to, and how our actions derive from our values.
I’ve written about this in chapter six in my book, Joy in Jesus. When the apostle Paul wrote the biblical book of Philippians, he was in jail and unsure whether he would be put to death or not. It was a very unfair situation. Yet, all throughout this book, Paul encouraged good values–focusing on what matters, cultivating humility, valuing others above yourself, and being thankful.
Towards the end of the book, he wrote these words:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
For Paul, there was a connection between peace and prayer with thanksgiving. The act of praying to God, presenting all requests to God, opens a pathway for God’s peace to flow through the one praying.
Presenting requests to God is another way of naming what concerns us. In the naming of our concerns, we acknowledge them, and allow for them to be processed and healed.
When we get caught up in our circumstances, we become overwhelmed with what is happening in the moment. But when we get out of the immediacy of whatever is troubling us, we will find space to think and process.
How do you respond to unexpected circumstances? How would you like to respond to them going forward?
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