Help is on the Way!

         Sometimes it’s easy to just get stuck in a loop of yucky thoughts and feelings. When that happened recently I remembered (Duh!) what I had written years ago as advice for my son. That turned into the book for young teens, “Help is on the Way!”  In the book Jerry, a pre-teen is caught in that loop. Fighting at school, bad grades, a whiny kid sister – Jerry is in despair until Will, an older teen, shares his own methods of handling life’s challenges. Maybe his advice can help you right now, too, just like it helped me.

“Here’s what Will wrote :  

Dear Jerry,

          Just ask yourself these questions whenever you don’t feel happy:

Do I like what I am feeling?

          Remember, kid, you’re not trapped. If don’t feel good; if you’re worried, scared, angry, guilty embarrassed, sad --there is a way out of it. You can find the answer, and you can feel good. But do you want to?

Can I see this differently?

          Take a moment and look for something good in the situation you are in. Is there anything about your situation that can make you feel good, and begin to give you the answer you need? If you find it, you’re feeling better already and you’re on the right track.

If I can’t see things differently, do I really want to see this differently?

          If you can’t find any good, it’s because you’re holding onto your bad feeling because, inside you think it will get you something you want. Remember, the only thing it’s getting you is a bad feeling. So decide again--Do you want to see this differently?

There is something inside of me that can show me the way.

          You are never alone. God’s Love is in your mind ready to show you the way and make you feel good. God’s Love is in everyone’s mind so His Answer will always be right for you and everyone else!

Do I want to be shown the way?

          This is it, kid. Do you want to let go of your anger, guilt, sadness, and let Love guide you? Or do you want to be stubborn and continue to have more pain? It’s your choice.

I will be still and let the answer come.

          Stop trying to figure things out. Admit you don’t know the answer and take a big step in growing up. Let the Voice which knows the Answer guide you. Let it slip into your mind. Maybe you’ll hear your mind telling you what to do; maybe you’ll get an idea; or maybe you’ll just feel good and know everything is all right. But remember, the Answer always makes you feel good!

       

Jerry saw that Will had handwritten something on the page:

          “This always helped me. I guarantee it will help you. Remember, kid, if you are not feeling good start with step one again until your mind is quiet, the answer comes and you feel good!”

  

       Jerry already felt good. He carefully put Will’s notes away and he fell sound asleep. The next morning, before he got out of bed he began to read the next pages. And from then on, every day he followed what they said.

       And Jerry did his weekly lessons, remembering to use WILL’S GUIDE FOR BETTER LIVING each time he got stuck in bad feelings. At the end of the year he had formed some really good habits. When he got angry, sad or worried he thought about his lesson for that day and week and God’s Voice helped him. Sometimes he heard the Answer in his mind, sometimes he got the answer from parents or friendsand sometimes the person he was angry with gave him the right answer. And Jerry always felt good.

      At the end of the typed pages Will had written the following words: “Help is on the way, and here it comes now! Enjoy the rest of your life.”

          And the last page was signed, 

                                                                  Love,

                                                                       Will”

(Excerpts from “Help is on the Way”, shown in the left column Spanish translation included at back of book. )