Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.
My brother-in-law is in crisis. Flying in to sit with his
mom in hospice. Seeking space from his impending divorce and dying dreams. Sharing
with him thrusts memory back to my own divorce and the dying of my parents. The
question he asks: What to do next? The short answer—do the next thing. The next
right thing, though, doesn’t happen in vacuum.
Knowing the next thing to do requires a framework. In pain,
with raging emotion ranging down-up-and down again, clear thinking is hard
work. In the anger I felt at my wife for forcing me out of the house, for
breaking trust, I could have made terrible decisions. Framework saved me. I’d
cultivated a handful of deep male relationships. I had vowed to live in biblical
context; to seek peace, hope and joy. Framework is crucial.
Process and planning aid in the process. Some days “doing
the next thing” meant getting out of bed and going to work. I wanted to roll
into a ball or spend the day brain dead with eyes on a screen. Mercifully windows
of peace and sobriety would open up for hours or even for days. Those are good
times to translate framework into planning. However you best do it; excel
spreadsheet, pen and paper, text messages whatever works; do it! What are the next steps necessary to get a
job? What can I do to communicate commitment
to my loved ones. Do I need to (figuratively) take an axe to anything (this
question is best asked in a sober, peace filled frame of mind). Taking this
step may shorten the periods of despair.
Let people speak into your life. This requires humility.
Telling them to take a hike negates this step. Go back to step 1. Not everyone
gets to give counsel. Only those you
trust. Those friends and professionals
you’ve given access to your soul and guts. Listen. Process.
Gaining traction in crisis requires work, fortitude, perseverance.
Doing the next right thing is not easy. We all know that soul that took short-term
shots without looking at the big picture; no framework, no process, no community.
The ship-wrecks, train-wrecks, the Breaking Bad. Coming through victorious
requires more but starts simply: do the next thing.
