Life has been full of turmoil. I'm not talking just hard times of, "Oh, it's been stressful." No. The past six months sent me into full-on warrior mode and I've been taking a beating!
Remember in the Fellowship of the Ring movie when Gandalf battled the Balrog? That's fitting. Dark shadow, fire and smoke stepped towards me. Certainly, I gave my mighty shout to its sure defeat and I fought to protect my loved ones...yet as it began to fall into the abyss, it totally caught me in the thongs of its whip and pulled me down too!
As the battle rages, I find that many of the weapons I typically use during hard times are not enough. After all, I'm in a battle with a Balrog...just look at it!! So I have scrambled for better armaments.
My Personal Balrog Weapons:
Personal counseling: I signed up for weekly appointments (yup, that's right..weekly!) Life was coming too fast. I needed someone with whom I wasn't obligated to meet their needs. Speaking to friends and family during hard times is a lifesaver but those are two-way relationships. I am gaining a profession perspective and support from someone who can bear the FULL weight of my situation and does not expect or require any emotional support from me in return. Invaluable!
- Septic people and negative social media. I recently culled almost 60 people and 10 groups from my social media. I keep my social media small anyway but somethings still needed to change. Many of these people were "somebody that I used to know" people while others are ones who create drama and breed unrest in my life. Bye.
- Inflammatory, depressing, or violent news reporting. Talk about information overload! Being "in the know" was actually making things harder. Flash news has become an everyday occurrence. Instead, lighten your information intake. Turn off none essential notifications. I'm finding that TV news, email updates and trending links are often like a soap-opera. You can take a break from it and even when you do come back, the same things are going on. You won't miss much.
- Conventionalism. Because my preteen son is going through medical and emotional challenges, there are conventional expectation I've had to release for both for myself as Mom and for my children. You ready? Showers and brushing teeth every night, clean room, eating perfectly balanced meals...whatever! When you are in this kind of battle...think big picture. Battle your largest enemy. You can handle the smaller street fights all in good time.
Reboot: Although big changes can be stressful, sometimes a big change can lighten your load and be highly beneficial. Do you need to change jobs to lessen your stress? If you move to a different neighborhood would you gain a new beginning? For me, the reboot was spiritual. By August of 2016, I'd been following hard after God for over 17 years. When this battle ensued it took the largest toll on my relationship with God. Your Balrog battle may require you to take a hard look at your spiritual support system. As a single mom, my little adoptive family simply needed more support than my long-time, long distance church fellowship provided. For my own spiritual relationship with God and for my children's emotional and mental health, I transition us to a closer church to worship with a smaller group of disciples.
Many will battle a Balrog eventually. Ultimately, in this battle one of the most powerful weapons has been to remember who I am truly fighting for...my relationship with God and my children.
"War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers