One of the things that I found most comforting, although I too found my thought going directly to my BK mess whenever I was awake, was to think about how grateful I was that when we finally realized we could not fix this by being bull-headed and "just doing something", that the law provides bankruptcy. I looked at it this way - when we were simply not living up to our agreements because we now owed so much more than we could ever pay, we were no longer abiding by the law. By filing the bankruptcy and going through that process that will legally strip away what we cannot pay, as long as we learn from this experience and are able to ensure we don't have this experience ever again through our own bad choices, we are being washed clean and we'll be law-abiding thereafter. This is supported Biblically. In Bible times, every fifty years, there was Jubilee, which freed the indentured and gave a fresh start. (See Leviticus 25:10 and the verses following.) It applied across the board to all the people, and multiple references to "not oppressing" each other. That sure sounds like debt forgiveness to me and it comes with a big celebration.
We may not be able to prevent our thought going right to this subject right now, but we can immediately arrest our thinking and "bring it into captivity" and focus that thought on that subject to be forward looking. There's no point in circling the drain and staring down in the black hole. Because you are not going there, if you will look up and out and think rightly. There's a lovely set of instructions by Paul to the Corinthians at chapter 10. The point of it is that although there is temptation to think badly (and to act according to our bad thinking) we can take charge of our thinking and think in the right direction.
One of the best things I have found for those middle of the night wake up in fright things that happened a lot when I had not yet accepted our need to BK to get freedom, was to consider this night terror as a wakeup call for an "appointment with God," in the stillness of the night. I wanted to get sleep so I could be useful during the day. Trying to figure anything out in the middle of the night was crazy... I needed something to calm me so I could get back to sleep. I needed to find reasons to feel good, and to me that has always meant finding what I'm grateful for in the situation, and holding those ideas in my thought.
Since my biggest focus was on an issue that it appeared dead obvious we would lose our home, which I had worked long and hard to make it what it is, and loved it in a most visceral way, I found myself needing to go right to basics - what could I be grateful for about this mess? In this process, I had lost a job, and I realized that if I did this BK right and surrendered my home, I could change careers to something which will pay very low to start but will be most fulfilling to me. It was hard to be grateful for that, most of the time. But like the little monkey with his fist stuck in the cookie jar, I could not have my freedom while holding on to the cookie! I prayed to recognize that giving up my hold on the house was going to free me to serve God in this new career and that he will take care of his servant. (And how true this is proving! Both my husband and I have jobs we feel fulfilled by, and we're working to make our crazy scheduled life work for us. But best of all, instead of having a crater of debt, we have this amazing thing called a "SAVINGS ACCOUNT" and... every month we can put money in it and we do!)
All the best to you - you can destress when you find even the tiniest things to be grateful for. And remember what Jesus said right at the end of Matthew 11. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
We may not be able to prevent our thought going right to this subject right now, but we can immediately arrest our thinking and "bring it into captivity" and focus that thought on that subject to be forward looking. There's no point in circling the drain and staring down in the black hole. Because you are not going there, if you will look up and out and think rightly. There's a lovely set of instructions by Paul to the Corinthians at chapter 10. The point of it is that although there is temptation to think badly (and to act according to our bad thinking) we can take charge of our thinking and think in the right direction.
One of the best things I have found for those middle of the night wake up in fright things that happened a lot when I had not yet accepted our need to BK to get freedom, was to consider this night terror as a wakeup call for an "appointment with God," in the stillness of the night. I wanted to get sleep so I could be useful during the day. Trying to figure anything out in the middle of the night was crazy... I needed something to calm me so I could get back to sleep. I needed to find reasons to feel good, and to me that has always meant finding what I'm grateful for in the situation, and holding those ideas in my thought.
Since my biggest focus was on an issue that it appeared dead obvious we would lose our home, which I had worked long and hard to make it what it is, and loved it in a most visceral way, I found myself needing to go right to basics - what could I be grateful for about this mess? In this process, I had lost a job, and I realized that if I did this BK right and surrendered my home, I could change careers to something which will pay very low to start but will be most fulfilling to me. It was hard to be grateful for that, most of the time. But like the little monkey with his fist stuck in the cookie jar, I could not have my freedom while holding on to the cookie! I prayed to recognize that giving up my hold on the house was going to free me to serve God in this new career and that he will take care of his servant. (And how true this is proving! Both my husband and I have jobs we feel fulfilled by, and we're working to make our crazy scheduled life work for us. But best of all, instead of having a crater of debt, we have this amazing thing called a "SAVINGS ACCOUNT" and... every month we can put money in it and we do!)
All the best to you - you can destress when you find even the tiniest things to be grateful for. And remember what Jesus said right at the end of Matthew 11. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
) Stopped paying creditors: Aug 2010 Filed Chap 7: Apr 29, 2011 341: Jun 1, 2011 Report of no distribution: Jun 1, 2011 Discharged Aug 2, 2011 
Comment