Enjoy GRAND Magazine

for grandparents & those who love them

Your Life Is A Good Story!


by Sue Gillespie (Grandma Sue)

“With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”  Wayne Dyer

Over 3 years ago a slow landslide began in my life.  My husband lost his job of 14 years.  (Hit #1)

We had gone through some financial struggles earlier in our marriage, and I had handled that with fear and anger.  This time, I made a firm decision NOT to react that way again….because it didn’t help at all the first time.

I took a job to help with health insurance, and my husband quickly began a new job in sales. But within 9 months, this new company he was with filled bankruptcy. (Hit #2)

After that, we couldn’t stay afloat. Our home went into foreclosure  (Hit #3)

Fear and anger were always right around the corner.  But I am old enough and have lived through enough trauma to know – deep down – that God isn’t out of control. He isn’t floating around on a cloud up there and suddenly looking down at my life and saying, “OH MYSELF…WHAT’S HAPPENING????”  I kept pulling myself back with the belief that even thought it felt like life was out of control – I could trust that God wasn’t.

Someone told me early in my marriage that my husband and I were beginning an adventure. Our adventure.  This new phase in our life was a new curve in the path of our adventure.

Several years before my husband lost his job, I had made a “Dream” chart that hung on my bathroom mirror.  It had things on there like: pay off our home, sing with a band and go back to school. The “Dream” chart had been on that mirror for many years. It actually felt more like a ‘wishful thinking but don’t count on it’ chart.

Fast forward to today:  We lost our home (foreclosure and short sale). It’s not how I HAD IT PLANNED to pay off the debt of our home…but today I carry no debt.  I am singing with a band that I just LOVE…classic country music.  (Just call me Patsy.) And, when I had plans to start my own business helping people de-clutter and organize their homes…I kept getting encouragment to take classes in a field of natural health that I was very interested in, but never thought I could learn and turn into a career…but it’s happening.

Through it all, I felt like I never knew what was ahead.  It was more like I was floating on an inner-tube down a windy river….and I determined to “just kept floating”.  (instead of paddling upstream) I didn’t have answers.  I didn’t know where I was heading. But – on purpose – I kept telling myself…..’relax’……’float’…..’trust God’!

“God is telling a good story. Nothing will EVER happen that God cannot redeem to move your story along to a glorious finale’!  Abandon yourself to THAT God.” The Pressure’s Off, by Larry Crabb.

Sue is a Craniosacral Therapist and Foot Reflexologist

Sue is the author of

Books available at: www.grandma-sue.com

 

 

Christine Crosby

About the author

Christine is the co-founder and editorial director for GRAND Magazine. She is the grandmother of five and great-grandmom (aka Grandmere) to one. She makes her home in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Only $ 6.95

A Special eBook for New and Expecting GRANDparents

My Grand Baby ebook cover