When Your Soul Cries, "Ouch!"

Maria V. Gallagher offers some tips to help you weather the emotional storms of life.

It was a zinger — an act which wounded my heart and brought me to the brink of tears. 

I felt demoralized and distraught, knowing that the proverbial arrow had been carefully aimed at my struggling soul.  

While I recognized the circumstances behind the emotional wound, and knew in my head that I should not take the attack personally, it still stung.  

But I did not want this piece of bad news to ruin my day. The revelation had come to me on a Friday, the day we commemorate the Lord’s gruesome death. In the scheme of things, my heartache seemed so trivial when compared to the ultimate sacrifice paid by Jesus. Still, the pain lingered in my gut like a piece of rotten fruit. I could have called it the “Salmonella Special” of ailments. 

Soul care

Not coincidentally, I have been taking a life coaching class, which requires me to role-play not only as a coach, but as a client. It occurred to me: What questions would I ask myself, if I were trying to coach me? 

The first query that popped into my head was: What good did it do to dwell on the hurt? I had just found out about an act that occurred more than a year ago. There was no reversing it. People have free will and sometimes the actions they take hurt others. I cannot and will not control other people. I can only seek to take control of my own responses — a full-time job in and of itself. 

A second question then emerged: What was the best thing I could do in this situation? After a quick check with the Man Upstairs, it seemed as if the best thing was to forgive and move on. Such forgiveness would not erase the bad memory, but at least it would free me from the scourge of resentment. 

Since I was on a roll, I decided to pose a third question: What can I learn from this episode in the once and future chronicles of my life? I surmised that I am made of stern stuff, fashioned for this time and place by the Almighty and All-Powerful God. He knew the hurt was coming—it was just a matter of time. But in His wisdom and compassion, He extended a special grace to me to deal with the heartache. 

A fourth question came to me: What action plan could I devise to deal with these types of humbling experiences in the future? This is the road map to redemption that I would like to share: 

• Express feelings in a safe environment. For me, that meant turning to my computer keyboard and pounding out my pain.
• Seek out Jesus and His wonderful mother Mary for solace and spiritual sustenance.
• Resolve to move forward and avoid the temptation to stare at the rear view mirror of  my life.
• Trust in God that He would redeem the situation and bring good out of it, as only He can. 

Get your action plan ready

On those days when your soul cries “Ouch!” perhaps you can consider putting your own action plan into effect. This simple step can be empowering and can breathe new life into your day. Collaborating with Christ, we can sow seeds of goodness and eventually reap a harvest of happiness.  

I pray for all who read these words, that your difficult days will be transformed into bridges to future freedom: freedom to dream, to explore, and to heal. Motherhood is not for the faint of heart, but for the brave of spirit. To all you courageous mamas out there, have faith that you, too, can weather the emotional storms of life!      

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Copyright 2024 Maria V. Gallagher
Images: Canva