{"id":405,"date":"2013-05-20T19:19:48","date_gmt":"2013-05-20T19:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/onfire\/?p=405"},"modified":"2013-05-20T19:21:07","modified_gmt":"2013-05-20T19:21:07","slug":"a-dark-place-3-steps-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/onfire\/2013\/05\/20\/a-dark-place-3-steps-out\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dark Place: 3 Steps to Blue Sky Again"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Coffee<\/a>
Coffee on a cloudy day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I fill my large Einstein Bagel coffee cup with vanilla hazelnut. The woman next to me mumbles, \u201cI should know never to book anything before 10:00 o\u2019clock on a Monday morning.\u201d She explained she got lost on her way to an appointment and missed it all together. Now she\u2019s getting coffee and regretting the day\u2014already.<\/p>\n

I commiserate with her. \u201cI just read most heart attacks occur on Monday morning. So, I\u2019m with you. They\u2019re a killer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a good rest of your day,\u201d I spout as I head out the door.<\/p>\n

I had just driven three miles to buy the best-tasting cup of coffee I could find for my own reasons: I woke up with a dark cloud hanging over my soul and I can\u2019t shake it.<\/p>\n

Why? Did someone die?<\/i> I ask myself.<\/p>\n

Well, someone DID die. That young man in a freak climbing accident. A friend of Laura\u2019s.<\/i><\/p>\n

But I didn\u2019t know him. What else?<\/i><\/p>\n

Well, mom and dad are both struggling.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0But they’re still here.\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n

Did I read too much news before going to sleep?<\/i>\u00a0 That\u2019s a sure path to anxiety.<\/p>\n

Was I on facebook too much?<\/i> The foreboding, \u201csky-is-falling\u201d posts circling around can drag me down, for sure.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t pinpoint the cause. I just know there\u2019s a cloud, and it feels like fear.<\/p>\n

I.<\/p>\n

I sit in my car and take a few sips. Yum.<\/p>\n

A thought floats up: I need to get on my own side.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

I tell myself to stop colluding with fear and darkness. God loves me. I need to join Him. Be gentle with me<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The cloud lightens a little.<\/p>\n

II.<\/p>\n

Then a realization comes: I just bought a large cup of vanilla hazelnut coffee. I have a car to drive. I\u2019m looking out on a beautiful mountain range. I have food to eat and a place to sleep. Friends and family.<\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019m blessed. Very blessed.<\/i><\/p>\n

I grab my journal from the back seat and make a list of my blessings. Then write:<\/p>\n

God, I\u2019m thankful for all these blessings.<\/strong> Thank you!!!!!!<\/em><\/p>\n

Blue sky peaks through.<\/p>\n

III.<\/p>\n

Now what?<\/p>\n

Contrary to how it seems some days, I\u2019m not direction-less or useless or left out. I\u2019ve got a Gift to give.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I decide to write a fresh answer to the \u201cWhy am I here?\u201d question:<\/p>\n

My life purpose is to help people see that who they are and the talents they possess make up a unique Gift that the world needs. My work is to inspire them to give their Gift.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>I reach for my lap top. Open it and being typing.<\/p>\n

The cloud is gone.<\/p>\n

– – – – –<\/p>\n

photo credit: Kara Allyson<\/a> (creative commons)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I fill my large Einstein Bagel coffee cup with vanilla hazelnut. The woman next to me mumbles, \u201cI should know never to book anything before 10:00 o\u2019clock on a Monday morning.\u201d She explained she got lost on her way to an appointment and missed it all together. Now she\u2019s getting coffee and regretting the day\u2014already.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":493,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,15],"tags":[123,288,290,284,195,283,106,128,292,289,286,291,285,287],"class_list":["post-405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-calling","category-conflict-obstacles","tag-anxiety","tag-be-gentle-on-myself","tag-blessings","tag-coffee","tag-core-gift","tag-dark-cloud","tag-facebook","tag-fear","tag-gift-to-give","tag-god-loves-me","tag-monday-morning","tag-thankfulness","tag-vanilla-hazelnut","tag-why-am-i-afraid"],"yoast_head":"\nA Dark Place: 3 Steps to Blue Sky Again - On Fire: Finding Your Gift And Using It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/onfire\/2013\/05\/20\/a-dark-place-3-steps-out\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Dark Place: 3 Steps to Blue Sky Again - On Fire: Finding Your Gift And Using It\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I fill my large Einstein Bagel coffee cup with vanilla hazelnut. 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