We never know for sure how we will respond in a crisis, until we are forced to endure one. My guest on a recent episode of Your Hope Filled Perspective podcast Sacred Scar Story Series, Lori Vober, shared her painful wounds and subsequent beautiful sacred scars after she experienced a severe stroke as a young woman (listen here: How to Find Purpose in Pain After a Hemorrhagic Stroke – Episode 280).

In that episode, we talked about the devastation of that stroke diagnosis, the frustration when her “can do” attitude was not enough, the current struggles that remain, as well as the beautiful opportunities God has brought Lori through her obedience to walk through the doors He has opened for her. Lori has experienced other significant challenges as well, so I’ve asked Lori to share 6 tips to encourage yourself when surviving unplanned challenges.

6 Tips to Encourage Yourself When Surviving Unexpected Challenges
by Lori Vober

We all have good days and hard ones. My journey as a younger hemorrhagic stroke survivor at age twenty-nine has taught me that life rarely turns out like we plan. But even through our challenges, we can find hope, joy, and new success. God will use every ounce of our trial and pain for a purpose and to serve Him. The following are 6 Tips to Encourage Yourself When Surviving Unexpected Challenges:

1. TIME with GOD

• As Christians, we all view time with God differently and thrive in our relationship with our creator differently.
• Some prefer a short daily devotional, others long intensive Bible studies. Some of us feel God’s presence through worship or time in nature. Others prefer times of concentrated fasting and prayer.
• There is no right formula for our time with God and how our relationship should look like. It is a personal relationship and one that should be built on getting to know him like you would any other friend.
• The day we die, we will stand before our God, the one who created us and wanted a relationship with us throughout our life. He will either acknowledge knowing you and say, “Good job faithful servant” or he will not recognize you.
• Ultimately, the relationship we choose to have with God here on Earth is up to us and the time we spend getting to know Him is to help us.
• Our relationship with God is like any other friendship, it takes time and effort to get to know Him.
• Mathew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

 

 

2. SUPPORT

• We all need to feel loved, supported, and encouraged by others.
  Many times, when we are going through a challenge that others can’t relate to, finding support is a challenge. Ask God who that person is.
• If you are with a friend group or a church body that doesn’t understand you, your purpose, mission, and what your heart needs, look for a new group of friends or ministry that can support you.
• God is ultimately the friend that will always understand and never let you down.
• I encourage you to be friends with others in the same manner that you need others to be to you.
• Life is truly so short, and we need to surround ourselves with those that will encourage us, will hold us accountable when we are wrong, and make us laugh so hard we have tears of joy streaming down our cheeks.
• Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

3. HOPE and JOY

• We live in a world where everything seems to have parameters and boundaries.
• Hope and joy that comes from our relationship with God and our trust and dependence on Him has no boundaries.
• Many confuse joy with happiness.
• Happiness is a temporary state of mind based on your current situation.
• Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
• Proverbs 17:22 : “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
• The condition of our spirit affects everything. Having a joyful and hopeful heart may not change our physical condition but by changing our spirit, it could affect our whole outcome.

4. GRATEFULNESS

• When we concentrate on being grateful and thankful, even for the smallest thing, it can alter our focus and perspective.
• Gratefulness might not change our physical situation, but the emotional change could improve the whole picture.
• There are many Bible verses that talk about having a heart of gratitude. It is like joy and hope. It may not change your physical challenges and situation, but it may bring you peace and an emotional uplift that does make a difference in your outlook.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
• The journey we are going through not only affects us but also affects all those around us we encounter. Our own attitude may have a great impact on others.

 

 

5. VULNERABILITY

• To protect ourselves, we often put on a mask and don’t show our true selves to others.
• We need to view vulnerability as an opportunity to connect with others, support others, and give others the opportunity to bless us on the journey we are on.
• We can’t control the actions and reactions of others. We only can control how we handle our own situation. We aren’t in control of the outcome.
• Life is too short not to try and make a difference in others’ lives. If a friend comes to mind, take a moment to reach out. You never know how much your words of encouragement could mean.
• Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

6. A SERVANT’S HEART

• When we concentrate on serving others, we take the focus away from our own needs and focus on being the real-life hands and feet of Jesus.
• God has truly used my sharing with others, serving in Women’s ministry, and supporting my local stroke community as a magnificent part of my healing journey.
• I have a good friend named Walter who recently lost his fight to pancreatic cancer. Walter had an amazing servant’s heart and always reminded me of the person I want to be. Even after a whole day of chemo, if there was a Cancer Fighter’s dinner, Walter would be in attendance, not to eat, but to serve others. He would always say, “no matter what, We got this”, meaning him and God.
• One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 2:3-11, when the friends carried and lowered the paralyzed man through the rough of the house to meet Jesus to be healed because of their love for their friend. I am not sure who was more blessed in the end, the man who was healed or the friends that witnessed what their acts of service and love had accomplished.

 

We will all face different challenges on this side of heaven. We may not be able to control the trials that life throws at us, but we can always make a choice in our reaction to our circumstances.

How do you encourage yourself during unexpected challenges? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

 

Need encouragement when facing life's unexpected twists? Discover how dedicating time to God can bring clarity and peace amidst the chaos. Find out how to strengthen your spiritual journey and stay grounded. Share on X Struggling to find support and encouragement in tough times? Surround yourself with uplifting people and communities that truly understand you. Explore how building the right network can make all the difference. Share on X

 

[If Lori’s story, or any of the other Sacred Scar Stories we’ve shared recently have encouraged you, consider picking up a copy of Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted]

 

About Lori Vober

Lori Vober suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at age twenty-nine, and then developed epilepsy from the stroke. She is a survivor, overcomer, connector, and passionate about sharing hope with others. With the right perspective, attitude, and perseverance, we can stay unstuck and keep moving forward. Even with her difficulties, Lori and her husband, Dainis, were able to become adoptive parents to a sibling group of three. Lori’s journey and books can be found at www.lorivober.com.

Connect with Lori: Website / Facebook / LinkedIn / X