Reframe Your Foundation: How to Navigate a Shift in Life

Reframe your foundation.
There are defining moments in our lives that make us question our path and if we’re heading in the right direction. Yesterday, I read through my journals from one of those seasons.

This Post Is About Reframing Your Foundation and Navigating a Life Shift

I was struggling physically after contracting COVID and a dangerous secondary infection. Little did I know, my body was in a downward spiral of imbalanced hormones and a cortisol bath that left me with little will to move forward. I journaled as if my life depended on it. Every morning, I dumped the confusing thoughts that swirled in my head throughout the night onto paper. My body and mind were breaking down, and I didn’t process stressors as I was accustomed to.

My older two boys moved out for college and to pursue their careers, respectively, which was a much more difficult transition than I had anticipated. The worry, fear, and endless “what if” thoughts consumed me and brought me tears daily. This was not like me. Even though I knew my hormones were out of whack and my mental health was suffering, I couldn’t seem to process the shift that was occurring. Typical, everyday stress was growing into debilitating anxiety.

Moreover, I grew to hate what I did for work. I had been in the same industry for over ten years, and as my mental health became more cloudy, how I felt about what I was doing became clearer. Every task became a burden, every conversation felt shallow, and every minute I spent on it felt wasted.

Shift Happens

The shift… It was happening.

At first, when the shift in our life begins, things become more confusing and laborious, leaving us in a state of fear.

But I grew to LOVE this shift and its unarguable truths and clarity that accompanied it. Thank God for the shifts. And after reading this and spending some time on my blog, I pray you will also learn to love the shifts. Because, well…. Shift happens.

So, I want to share two of these journal entries with you. I know you feel the shifts, too. Maybe you’re about to enter a significant transformation in your life, or you’re right in the middle of one. Or, better yet, perhaps you’ve just made it through one. You must know a few things when you first feel your foundation rumble. Please don’t ignore it. Embrace it. Don’t rush it. Don’t panic. Open your mind and heart to whatever God is trying to tell you and do in your life! I now believe the shifts in life and the fractures in our foundation are some of the most beautiful gifts and the loudest way God communicates with us!

Grab a coffee, and let’s read some of my journals together…

Life is a Bloody Battle at Times

Journal Entry: 11/1/2021

I can’t believe it’s already November 2021. I’ll admit 2021 has sucked.

And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. I always start strong, get fit, and get my head straight. I am so determined and confident, and then BAM! I get punched in the face, my body flying to the ground.

Oh, that’s the toxic business partner whose narcissistic head games and constant creation of drama and gossip send me on a year-long mind-effery of a roller-coaster.

I climb onto one knee, preparing to lift my other leg and…

BAM!! …punched again.

Oh, that’s my broken ankle from slipping during an icy hike. Ugh… this blow is just plain inconvenient and painful.

I fall back into a coiled slump, take a deep breath, and wipe the salty tears from my face.

“Lord, I’m tired. I’m just so freaking tired.

I get back onto my knees, palms spread on the ground, sweat dripping down my face, a face that can’t seem to find the strength to rise. But determined as hell, I attempt to lift one leg and then the other again. I’m finally up on both legs, barely standing like a tattered doll.

And then a massive blow from behind. This one took me by surprise, smacking my head and sending me hurling face down, with my cheeks smashed against the ground with my legs and arms spread out.

Oh, this is when my biological father died. A man who sexually abused me for the first seven years of my life, and a man I hadn’t spoken to for eight years. I immediately flew out to be by his side to say goodbye, hours before he breathed his last breath. More mind-effery…

I refuse to stay down. I’m going to try harder to get up… I will do more and be more. Nobody will hold me down. Limb by limb, I straighten and summon the muscles to engage and slowly rise to my knees. As I kneel momentarily, I hear the whirly of something and BAM! Knocked backward with yet another blow. Now my body is lifeless… and barbarically, I wait for someone to outline my limbs and torso.

This is COVID and Toxic Shock Syndrome, competing to poison my body and defeat my immune and hormonal systems.

This. This is how life feels right now.

It’s not like this all the time. I recognize it’s not a constant, hopeless barrage of discouragement.

Navigating the Shifts in Life

Life is tragically beautiful.

I wouldn’t have my zeal and zest for life if I didn’t experience and feel every blow and punch. It feels so good when it’s good, and the highs are incredible!

But why does it seem like other people never experience the blows?

I know better than to think that. I’ve never been one to play the victim. But dang it, those lies creep in if unchecked. Let’s face it, the same winds of life blow on all of us. Although, every so often, I wonder if I create some of my hardships.

If Andy struggles with depression, I married him and could do more to make him happy.

If the kids were struggling, I chose to have them and could have done more to help them. (Or I did something wrong as their mom.)

If I’m struggling with a business partner, I chose to partner with them and tolerate their behavior.

If it’s our finances, I made decisions that contributed to where we were.

If it’s my health, I should stress less and take better care of myself.

It’s hard not to beat ourselves up. And quite frankly, a lot of us do make problems for ourselves. I hear many Christians blame the enemy for whatever hardship they’re experiencing, as if everything that happens to them is a spiritual attack. That could be the case in some circumstances, but more often than not, we create many difficulties. But I digress, back to the bloody battle…

NOT TODAY. Today I stand.

I’m standing tall even when my circumstances don’t reflect victory; I’m claiming it! I have victory in Jesus! We will get through this. My God is so faithful. I don’t care how many more blows hit me… I will keep standing because it’s in his power I find my strength.

I stand tall today. I stand tall in the confidence of what’s to come.

My face is bruised, my eyes are puffy, and my body is so sore, but I can no longer focus on what I am seeing, feeling, and experiencing. I have to focus on what is unseen and what is to come.

As I turn the pages, the chapters in my book that will be the best are coming. The second half of our story? That’s where the good stuff is. They have yet to be written, but I can feel the oncoming plot twist. They will be the fulfillment of all the previous chapters… That first half? That was the preparation pages leading up to this moment.

That is what I’m focusing on. And it brings me HOPE.

I trust God. I trust him as the author of my life.

I will be a conduit for him to create an endless story of love and transformation through me.

Thank you, Lord, for my marriage, children, parents, friends, house, cars, and everything you’ve blessed us with. Thank you, even for… all the blows in 2021.

May I bring you glory! May I be a light to others! Continue to heal me. I love you. I surrender this year to you.

The Shifting of Your Foundation

Journal Entry: 11/16/2021

Why do I procrastinate? Crazy apathy is happening in my heart. I’m avoiding the gym, not eating well, and dread journaling and praying. What in the world is this terrible power of procrastination taking over me?

Lord, I’m so dang tired. My eyelids feel like bricks, and my blood is like sludge. I know what I’m supposed to do, but it sometimes feels hopeless and exhausting. I want my mind and body back. I’ve never felt so tired.

I had a dream last night that I was in the military and leaving for Australia.

It was sooo strange. I was completely unprepared and had to call Andy to ask him to drive back to the airport to bring me five vital things I forgot to pack.

I don’t know my mission, but I was unprepared, unorganized, and a hot mess. Hmmm…

As I woke up, I couldn’t shake this sinking feeling of things shifting in our life. Would I call it a premonition? Nah. Just being obedient to a new place God calls me… one day at a time.

Do you ever feel like something huge is shifting in your life? Let’s talk about the Earth shifting. Like Platonic Plates? Is that what you call them? I’m not certain. Ok… just googled it. Haha! Nope, they’re NOT called Platonic. LOL! Oh gosh, that’s funny and a bit embarrassing.

Tectonic Plates, that’s what you call them. Here are a few facts about tectonic plates: Our Earth is in a constant state of change. (So are we, my friend.) Earth’s crust, called the lithosphere, consists of 15 to 20 moving tectonic plates. Think of the plates like pieces of a cracked shell that rest on the hot, molten rock of Earth’s mantle and fit snugly against one another.

We have ZERO control over when these plates will shift, how long, or where they’ll shift. That’s how life can feel. Like your entire foundation shifts beneath your feet, you have no control over what happens.

Damage is a result of this seismic occurrence. Sometimes catastrophic, and other times? The damage is so minor it leaves unnoticeable cracks. Occasionally, these invisible cracks, over time, do the most damage. The gaps in the foundation go unnoticed, so there’s no opportunity to fortify the base, the ground, or the rock you’ve built everything upon.

The next shift that occurs can either cause you to crumble completely or leave yet another hairline fracture that leaves you even more vulnerable and uncertain once again.

But how do we reframe a tectonic shift in our lives?

How do we prepare and take preventative measures to reframe our foundation so that we’re not so susceptible to our entire life crumbling to pieces?

Five Vital Things to Pack for Your Mission to Reframe Your Foundation

Recognize the Shift in Life

First, we have to acknowledge that the shift has happened. We can never fix, work on, or change something we refuse to recognize has happened.

Take Inventory of the Damage to Your Foundation

Second, we have to take inventory of the damage. Some will be glaring and so raw and tender. The damage is unavoidable, but you must peel back the debris and poke around to see if there are any compromised beams or damaged weight-bearing walls. Every so often, you must wait for the dust to settle and the smoke to clear to evaluate the damage.

Limit Distractions

Third, we must limit distractions. When you first feel the rumblings beneath your feet, that is your sign to tighten up your circle and reduce the noise by auditing who you allow to speak into your life. Every voice you allow in your newsfeed, on TV, at a social function, etc., that is not from God will drown out what you need to hear. When our foundations shift, God whispers, and it becomes difficult to listen to his voice when he has to compete with everyone else.

Take Action

Fourth, we have to act on where God is leading us. You can only fix what you’re aware of and what you can control. You can’t repair someone else’s foundation; you can only fix yours. Ask God to reveal the lessons to you and to search your heart. The first action he asks of you might be to be still and listen. But your life will remain the same if you don’t change anything. So act on where you feel God is leading you.

Don’t Rush the Process

Fifth, don’t rush the process. There are so many minute opportunities for growth in our character that don’t happen overnight. Practice good self-care; sleep, exercise, journaling, nutrition, and strengthening your relationship with God. Stay consistent and have faith that God knows what he is doing. #Don’tMissTheLesson

Occasionally, a shift is allowed into your life to shed light on the weak areas of your foundation. What may feel like a disruption in your life could save it or, at the very least, strengthen it!

Reframe Your Foundation

If we’re unwilling to search for opportunities to reframe, we will forever fight the growth process responsible for bringing us one step closer to our purpose.

Next time you feel a shift, get excited, reframe at the first rumble, and be ready for the most significant opportunity for growth in your life!

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