Pushing Through by Nicki Copeland

A week ago my husband had a full knee-replacement operation. It’s a major operation and he’s still in some pain, but he’s recovering well.

This has come at a time when we’re already facing a number of challenges (aren’t we all?!). I was feeling quite apprehensive, and that there’s a lot on my shoulders at the moment. But God is good, and as I was praying about it all, I ‘saw’ him standing right behind me. His shoulders were so much bigger and wider than mine, and able to carry so much more. And they were just a little bit higher than my shoulders. I felt him say to me that he’s there, he’s got my back, and while he isn’t going to take the load from me, he’ll carry it with me.

I was so encouraged by this picture, and it has sustained me through the week. It’s not easy to see someone you love in pain. He’s obviously going to need a lot of support over the coming weeks, and I’m grateful that I work from home so I can be available when I’m needed.

I know this is a season we need to go through (and will need to go through again next year when he has the other knee done!), but I also know we’ll come through it and out the other side.

There are many times in life where we have to push through the pain. Some of life’s difficult seasons are quite short; others last a long time, and there are some that we will always dwell in, this side of Glory.

So how do we cope with life’s challenging seasons? One of the ways I deal with them is to write. There’s something about putting my feelings on to paper that helps me to order them and process them. Writing about my feelings allows me to be completely honest, and helps me to work through them at times when I might not even actually be sure of what I am feeling.

There’s a sense of vulnerability in sharing our feelings, and, of course, it isn’t always appropriate to share such writings widely. Sometimes the writing itself is both the means and the end. At other times it can be right to share, and our honesty and openness can help and encourage others who might be going through similar experiences.

So how do you process your thoughts and feelings? Do you find writing cathartic? Or maybe you use your writing to process in a different way – perhaps to create characters who are dealing with particular challenges themselves and explore ways in which they might process their emotions. Do share what works for you – we might glean some new ideas!

Nicki Copeland is a freelance writer, speaker, copy editor and proofreader – and loves anything to do with words. She is the author of Losing the Fig Leaf and Less than Ordinary? She has recently taken over the day-to-day running of Instant Apostle publishers. When she has the luxury of some free time, she can invariably be found with a book in one hand and some chocolate in the other.