How to Handle Crisis Moments

                In moments where everything feels like its crumbling to pieces in your hands, what is your first instinct? Do you cry, shut down, get angry, avoid the situation, or talk to a trusted friend? Most of the time, it might depend on the intensity of the situation but our reaction should be, in every situation, to run to Jesus and ask him to help.

                That may sound simple, but I know I’ve asked myself “what does it actually look like to run to Jesus and ask his help?” Well, first of all, I would suggest stopping and praying. Right where you are, in all your emotional turmoil, no matter what you’re doing. Ask Jesus to make his presence known and for the Holy Spirit to begin moving in the situation. When my niece, Kailey, was sick in the hospital, prayer played a huge factor. We prayed and had friends supporting us in prayer as well, it honestly kept me from completely unravelling in that insanely difficult time.

                Prayer shouldn’t stop, I know it sounds insane when Paul says to “never stop praying” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. But a common misconception about prayer is that it needs to be structured in a specific way or that you need to be completely separated from everything to pray. Jesus commonly withdrew to spend intentional time with the Father, but I think we can also assume that Jesus was constantly talking to the Father, communicating with him and asking for his help.

                If we can be in constant communication with our Creator during times of stress or turmoil, he will make his presence known and will carry us through those times. We are never meant to carry the burdens of life alone, Jesus is there and he always will be.

How to Become a Superhero in Five Minutes or Less

Superhero movies have taken over the entertainment industry, between Marvel and DC the supply is seemingly endless. A few nights ago, I went to see Justice League in the theatre and I was surprised by how one character, Barry a.k.a The Flash, was afraid as the team went into their first big battle with the main villain. Batman offered him some wise words about his role in the fight -  “Just save one.” When Barry asked what to do next, Batman replied “you will know.” There were multiple civilians trapped by the villain and the Flash, in spite of his fear, rushed in (literally) to pull civilians out of harms way. After he retrieved the first civilian, he stood there in shock for a moment before he rushed back into the danger zone to pull out every person before going to help his teammates battle the villain.

We, as followers of Jesus, are called to be like the Flash and “just save one.” In spite of our fears or reservations about our role in the war against evil, our job is to rush in to aid those who are trapped and save them. Now, obviously we don’t have super-speed like the Flash that allows us to run faster than the speed of light, but we do have an insanely amazing supranatural power in us – the Holy Spirit. The only superpower we will ever need is the one we are give when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. When we submerge ourselves in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will flow out of us and give us abilities to conquer, heal, encourage and lead others. All it takes is a prayer and a little bit of faith in Christ’s overcoming power to become the ultimate superhero.

Once that choice has been made, we have two paths. We can be like Barry Allen and hide our powers away from the world, use them only in secret and never risk anything. The alternative is to become our own version of the Flash, and swallow our fears to “save one” and then another and another. We are facilitators of salvation, it is not us who saves but the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ’s death on the cross that allows us the ability to guide other people to true salvation in Jesus. We need only ask Him to give us the power, strength and courage to step into the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. When the world needs saving, will you answer the call?