What New Plans For a New Life Excite You?

Biking to Chanel in Paris

There are many, many reasons for an anniversary including the day you got your first silver car with its leather seats and automatic rearview mirror, started college in another state and ended up with the best roommate, moved to a beautiful new home with shade trees over the patio after saving for nine years, or traveled to Paris, rented a bicycle, and walked into Chanel for a new dress! And certainly, the day(s) your children were born was the very best kind of special. Hundreds of occasions to remember fondly. You probably have boxes and boxes of photos and souvenirs to prove it. There may have even been a time when you cherished the day you met your first celebrity in person (Diana Ross, Glen Campbell, and Stevie Nicks immediately come to mind!).

Reaching Your High Point

Many of these days were happy ones we never want to forget. But not all anniversaries are the same. Most of us have had to learn to deal with the loss of a parent, sibling, favorite relative, friend, or spouse. The grief of that occasion may lessen over the years but is always present in your mind. It is a true low point on your lifeline. Thankfully, with help, you can reach a higher point where you remember the good days with that person more often than that one bittersweet day. 

Of course, not all anniversary dates are good ones. There is that day when the "ending" was heart-breaking, to say the least. Divorce brought up all sorts of unwanted feelings you would rather have never faced but were forced to come to grips with them. You may have heard that in some ways divorce is worse than death in that the person you made vows with is still around. You cringe when you must see that person again as it brings up all the ugliness. You are never really rid of it. But take a deep breath: there is hope!  

New Life, New Plans

Planning your new life

Take heart, dear one! You still have a lot of choices on how to handle your life now. The best part is you can (are able to) build a whole new life from scratch just the way you want it. Nothing will hold you back even if you must rearrange several parts of your life. And that’s a good thing! It can be very exciting because how many times does a person get a second or third chance? The only hurdle is your own hesitation or fear of the unknown. It’s a matter of getting out of your comfort zone and creating new plans. If this is sounding familiar, you are not the only one. So, take a deep breath and jump in. You can do this!

Start with finding one of many support groups for the divorced or for the grieving. Join a women's group, volunteer, or find love and support through a local Christian church and Bible study. You will soon discover your true gifts and talents and be on your way! Just know that God understands every minute of your every day. No, He didn't cause your divorce as many women would like to believe. That is a lie straight from the enemy (Satan) as is all evil. In fact, God was there with you every single minute. He got you safely to this point, didn't He? Trust Him because He has a plan for the rest of your life. He always has had your best interest at heart! It's going to be a great adventure! 

"Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall" (Psalms 55:22 NLT).