Through The Difficult Times

It is easy for me to get discouraged and down about certain things. Usually, when I'm going through a difficult time a lot happens all at once. I feel bombarded. That pressure can frustrate me and make me feel like nothing is moving forward. When I see that things don't seem to be moving forward, I get hard on myself and discouraged. It is the worst feeling, especially as a single mother. There isn't someone around to share the troubles with. There isn't always someone to bounce ideas off of. It can literally feel like it is just me. I have to remember though, that I'm not alone. God is always here. He also has begun bringing the right people in my life to help my perspective and I'm thankful for that. This year I have been in a huge battle, spiritual, with where I am with God and what He is doing in my life. What is He trying to show me? What is he trying to tell me? This part of my life has been difficult. I realize though, I made it more difficult than necessary. If I would just clearly hear what He says, things shouldn't be this hard. When God is telling you something, telling you to do something, there is peace with it. It just flows, it isn't difficult.

My move back to Florida has been just that. Everything, down to how much I needed financially flowed, literally. I heard audibly across the state line "Welcome Home." However, the warfare has been great upon being here. God has straightened out most things once they come. I have to believe that something greater is on the horizon because I have come against a lot of opposition. For everything that seemed to flow seamlessly, another obstacle occurs. However, as soon as the obstacle occurs, I noticed God would show me a way out or navigate it for me. The Lesson: "Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..." Proverbs 3:5 This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible and God is really showing me to trust Him. I've had so many issues with trust, He is pushing me to at this point. I just got to believe the difficulties will pass and the blessings not only will come on the other side but to acknowledge the blessings now...

Get to Happy!

It's easy to succumb to sadness, depression, hurt, pain and look at everything has gone wrong in your life and how you can fix or change it. I can relate. I am my biggest critic! Sometimes, that means looking at all the failures and mistakes and beating myself up. However, God doesn't work like that. He knows the mistakes we will make before we make them and still loves us the same. It is time we learn to love ourselves the same way. Love you for who you are! No one else can be like you, no one else is you! No one else is you Nathifa! Sometimes, it is necessary to have a self pep-talk.

Life is hard. Obstacles get in the way. Life throws you curveballs that you didn't see coming. You can look over your life and replay how you could have changed this situation here, or if I didn't tell so and so this, maybe...it is so easy to fall into this trap of madness! Perfectionist, like myself, are the worst ones. I have moments to myself such as: If I didn't move here, my life would be here instead...One example of this is my nursing degree. For those who knows me personally knows I'm a Licensed Practical Nurse. And I'm damned proud! However, I wanted to become a Registered Nurse since I was 16. Well life, threw curveballs at me. The first time I realized this, I was already in a Medical Assistant program in high school and my grades weren't high enough to attend the Licensed Practical Nursing program back then. No worries. Fast forward to college, I had a 3.4 GPA, after going around in circles about taking certain pre-requisites for the nursing program. When the time came for me to take my entrance exam, after three excruciating years of pre-reqs and working 2 jobs, I decided that the test was too hard, I didn't study, and I chose to not take it at the last minute. I remember my Mom asking me why would I do that? I panicked! Like, panicked something terrible. I also thought I had time. I had no idea the following year my mother would be diagnosed with a disease that would take her life the same year. Nor did I expect to be in an abusive relationship. I didn't expect the pregnancy the following year, just 6 months of her passing. I didn't know that life was going throw so much junk into the mix! You name it: I was abused emotionally, mentally, and the physical was about to raise its ugly head. I eventually got out of it and the other things like my savings being depleted, the water turned off, lights cut off, living in an empty shell of a home with a 2-month-old and the other parent not helping. I soon became a single, homeless, mother.

Circumstances came in like a flood! But, I just knew that I knew I was supposed to become a nurse. So I moved to Florida. That, in itself, was the most beautiful, horrible, gut-wrenching, life-changing, breath of fresh air years of my life. I mean I had hit many a low and went many a high. I moved on with my life and eventually went back to school. This time with a different mindset, even though I was still in yet another struggle of single motherhood and eviction! Yep, the beginning of the LPN program started off very, very rough. Add a breakup (that later made up, smh), with some help from friends and some help not from friends, and eventually, I had major support from the group mentioned above and I got through. I literally made it. I had to sacrifice a great deal to get to that point. My son was gone for most of the following summer with my Dad and cousins (he was only 4). I had missed his birthday because I went from dropping him off first thing in the morning, going to work, then to school, and bringing him a cupcake 9:30 at night. The struggle of it all made a full circle when I walked across the stage. How, do I get to the next step of RN though?

I went ahead and decided to go back to school right away (BIG MISTAKE)! I was starting a new job (not nursing), studying for boards, and taking 5 classes. All while still single parenting. Not my best decision. I reaped the consequences of that pretty quickly. Although I did well with work and passed my boards, I failed 3 classes miserably and barely passed the fourth, and dropped the 5th class. Bit off way more than I could possibly chew.

So, I finally got a chance 2 years later to finally get this RN program down and finished. I was so excited when I got an email from my old Nursing school with their partnership with another school. Night program, I could work it around my work my schedule, and my son was in school so it should be easy this time right? Wrong! I was going through a horrible break up. I was distancing myself from different people, I felt like I was going through my own personal hell. To stop crying, I threw myself into work and school. Outside of my son, that is literally all I felt I had. I was unhappy and felt alone. I just thought that this would at least be my saving grace. The first semester was difficult and I barely passed. The second semester seemed to go off without a hitch but I began having so much financial trouble. It seemed after Hurricane Irma, I just couldn't get my bills together. My son was in daycare but the owner became a flake and was doing things I couldn't agree upon. I had to report her. Which meant, my work schedule and school schedule went down the tubes. My finances were drying up quickly and couldn't understand what and why this was happening now...

Here I am 6 months later. My graduation would of been this month and I would of finished the nursing program the day before my birthday. I had so many other things happen since (I won't discuss today) and it just made me feel like my hope was gone. However, with God He can restore your hope, your joy, your peace! I know that I'm not just writing this for others but I'm also writing it for myself. It's not worth it to beat up yourself about the mistakes. All you can do now is move forward. What's done is done! What has happened, happened.

I have a new start this upcoming week. It hasn't fully hit yet but probably will when it begins. This time I'll put one foot in front of the other. I'll keep my eyes focused on the One who knows all. I'll be the best Mommy I can be. It is time to get back my joy and get back to happy!

Hurt People, Hurt People

I have spoken on this topic over the years.  It rings as true then as it does now
Hurt people truly hurt people.  They take out the way they were treated by someone and project that hurt on to you as a sort of payback.  This happens in relationships,  friendships,  between family members,  even at work and school.

Think about it? Where you ever bullied in school? I know I was.  That experience carried with me to Junior High School and I was ready to fight at any given time.  I was resentful and had a chip on my shoulder.  By high school, I was just angry and ready to fight. I felt I had so much strength in me, that if I fought a female I would kill her. That type of aggression isn't good. I had to learn to channel it. Dance became my outlet from an early age but it still existed. 

Life is funny though, when I became a young adult, I didn't realize how much people were hurting me and I was hurting them. I would be quick to argue, cut someone off, curse someone out without a second thought. I would cut ties and walk away. When people did it to me, I would be upset and cry and talk about it to others, but over time I just let the person do them. I would never show my tears though (I really believed for years that tears were a sign of weakness). All of this changed after I had my son. I had a harder time cutting people off without a second thought. Part of it was because I didn't want to be alone (I felt that way after my Mom's passing and my failed relationship with my son's father plus the abuse left deep scars that were hard to hide). As I became older,  I noticed I clung to people who didn't want anything to do with me. Or worse, I became friends and had relationships with others that didn't think well of me. Would say hurtful things for sport. Somethings I would brush off, others I would mull over, or sometimes I would snap. 

It became worse when I brought back the same people in my life that I knew have done horrible things to me and I to them. I may have made amends with the person, put it behind me, but they aren't over it. Add what I've done to what others may have done and now this person is harboring hurt, anger, pain, jealousy, envy, and even hatred in their heart for me and anyone else that crosses them. That's a huge mistake we make as a people at times. Differentiating and discerning why you are so angry at the person who you supposedly forgave so long ago? 

What about relationships? You know, the ones when you enter into a new relationship with old baggage and habits. You begin to do the comparison game. You intentionally or unintentionally sabotage the relationship in question by your actions, by your big mouth. Oh, I've been there. I was the giver and the receiver for these things. 

If you are hurt, figure it out, get counseling, do something but don't, DO NOT, bring it to another person that doesn't deserve it. Even if they do deserve it, so what! What would that do for you to intentionally hurt someone else, other than cause more pain and suffering? No one in this world is perfect, of course. We all know we have done horrible things to people we love, people we care for. Things you can't take back. Let's be the ones to hold ourselves accountable. Stand in the mirror and really take a deep look at yourself to see the things you have done to someone else. Did that person really deserve that backlash? Did that person deserve the cold shoulder? Complete silence? Or the screaming match you wanted to start up about something that happened months ago? Was that payback, that revenge, really worth it? Instead of hurting people hurting people, let's be healing people healing people. And let's start this today by taking honest looks at ourselves and our own actions.

You can't change anyone else but you.

The Struggle

I'm just going to put this as #thestruggle because I know what it is like to struggle regularly. I'm honest with myself and I'll be honest with you, I don't have it all together. And for people to believe I do are just plain crazy. I can disguise it, I could play it off, but I could be a walking hot mess at times, lol. I don't say it to belittle myself, I know I've come a far, long way. I'm just honest with myself. This week has reminded me of #thestruggle being so real! I mean, since Monday, everything that can go wrong has gone wrong! It is driving me insane. I'm trying to get my son enrolled in a private school and just trying to get his documents sent to the school has been the biggest nightmare and school starts in a week! Talk about my anxiety being 1000 right now! I do not like to do things last minute! Then I'm still getting his before and after school arrangements down pat, summer camp is costing an arm and a leg and I'm like can I please be done now?! I just don't have it this week! I'm scraping the pennies together people? Robbing Peter to pay Paul. The struggle is real! Single parenting is soooooo hard. And it is upsetting at times that people expect you to just have it all together, have all your finances in order, and just deal with it. Give me a break! I'm one parent taking care of a growing kid. Let's not talk about this current 4-6 month growth spurt (currently in one now-ugh!) And bills, my own classes starting two weeks ago, a temporary move, and training at my job and you guessed it-hot mess!! I'm so tired man but I have to push myself. I've work 6 days this week. My body has been killing me (possible bilateral ear infection, left knee swelling, and some inflammation in my right hip-the nurse in me).  I had my other job call me yesterday to come in and I was all for it until the day got going and my body was like, girlllllll bye! Please have several seats! It is no joke. I'll keep it real, I know I am doing a lot better than other people. My father always reminds me, we aren't doing that bad. And he is right! For all the stuff that a single mom or dad goes through, it could be worse. We could be homeless (which we have been before), we could have no car to get around and have to walk everywhere (been there and done that in New York and Florida), we could have absolutely nothing to eat (don't even get me started on that). Single life as a parent is hard! I really try to give my son the best of everything and give him the illusion that we are well off-please that doesn't work all the time. He is 8 now and too smart for his own good. I know he sees his Mom working and I get the regular questions: Mommy can you stay home today? Mommy, can you pick me up early? Mommy, why do you have to go to work so much? One day, he will get it. I got it with my Mom. I just had to be a parent myself before I got it. I just hope he doesn't struggle the way I did and learn the lessons I didn't. That is all a parent can pray and hope for, after all right?

Doubting Thomas

John 20: 24, 27-29:"...So he said to them, 'Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe...Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" NKJV

Doubting Thomas just didn't believe Jesus rose again! At all!!! Like, he literally said if I can't put my finger in the print of His hand, I won't truly believe it is Jesus. Wow! Bold right?! Well, guess what? I'm just as bold and quite frankly it is rude of me to be that bold! And can I also say, naive! I can't speak about anyone else but surely, I can speak about my own experiences. There are times I doubted God so much I wonder to myself why does He bother with me and my mess, lol. Like, seriously? I mean even today. There is a situation I'm currently going through, and God told me the reaction I'm expecting will be the opposite. And do you know it, a little doubt crept in? SMH at me. I should be ashamed and I am. Other times I'm just living in fear. Which is crazy because God has done so much and brought me through so much. Especially, this last year. He has been dealing with me with areas of my heart that I didn't realize I was going through. He also has me a season of spiritual cleaning. As far as people, places, and things.  He is getting rid of a lot of things to get me to where He wants me to be. So why do I doubt?

Well, I need to remember to realize that God is not like man. Please, read that one again. I know I need to, often! He is not a man who should lie. He doesn't just give promises and not keep them like people do. In all the disappointment with people, God doesn't disappoint us. He loves us too much to not tell us the truth and to not give us the truth. I thank God for His patience with me and all my emotional mess. I know without Him, I wouldn't be where I am now. I am so thankful, that He isn't like man. He is patient, loving, kind, and understanding. He knows the doubts I have and still gives me reminders, some gentle and some not so gentle :-). I know it is necessary though because I know I need to be checked with my thoughts, my mind. I also have to continue to remember that although some promises have not come to pass, it doesn't mean it won't. He is a promise keeper.

Habbakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for an appointented time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry." NKJV

Forgiveness

I learned over the years that forgiveness is for the person who chooses to forgive. What if it isn't just about that person but the other party you choose to forgive? Yes, you can say well what if the person isn't sorry. That's fair. However, stop to think of you choosing to forgive someone else is in essence freeing the person to no longer feel guilty for what they have done. What if this is allowing the other person to move on also. Anyone can hurt you, it takes a bigger person to say sorry and say I forgive you.

Growing up, I lived with my mom. She was with my Dad but they weren't married and didn't live together. That dynamic was difficult. Add the constant arguing and there was a lot of hurt and anger. And not enough forgiveness. I grew up in this. I listened to my Dad say sorry like it was just an every day word. I wondered to myself most days if he was. I know my mom never really believed him. Generally, we mimic what our parents do. So when someone hurt me as I got older, hearing the word sorry didn't really mean anything. So listening to someone else tell me "I'm sorry" didn't always have the affect the other party expected. It was just another word to me.

Take this moment to think back to those two simple words and add forgiveness to it. What's your concept? Maybe, it's time to change your perspective. I know it's time to change mine.


"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Matthew 6:14