Have Faith - October Edition

Day 5
God is in control, so do not worry...
Control...
There are times during the year that veterans
can dread. November 5th and New Years Eve
come to mind. As the nation celebrates with
fireworks, veterans stay indoors doing their
best to block out the bangs, fighting back
memories from their past. For me, last
November was a total nightmare. I was
caught off guard a number of times and it
seemed to be every time I managed to get
myself relaxed. Of course, it resulted in lots
of unwanted memories. However, one particularly
loud bang brought back a memory that
I have actually found useful. Northern Ireland
was the land of IED's during the time of the
troubles. Thankfully most call outs or finds
turned out to be hoaxes but I remember how
we were taught to deal with them. We used
to use a drill called the 4C's. Confirm, Clear,
Cordon Control. By doing this we could keep
ourselves and everybody else safe. It was a
set drill, everybody knew what to do, like a
well oiled machine, it was smooth and efficient.
Yet we would do this in the times of
threat and danger. If things are that easy to
deal with in times of conflict when the proverbial
heat is on and we are under immense
pressure to act in order to save life then why
is it so difficult to control our actions, thoughts
and emotions in times of peace when we just
hear bangs, or anything else that reminds us
of the past. To be honest, I don't have the answers
of how our minds work, I have a few
theories but not being an expert it wouldn't be
right for me to comment. But one thought occurred
to me, if the 4C's worked in times of
conflict then couldn't a similar drill help us in
1 Peter 1: 13-25
peace times when we find it hard to cope? Although
these experiences are directed at veterans
there is no reason why anyone cant
benefit from this. So here is a new version of
the 4C's.
Confirm: Confirm to yourself that there is a
problem. Take a little time just to think it
through and admit to yourself you need a little
help. This is by far, the most important step.
Do remember though, by doing this you are
not admitting to yourself that you are weak,
rather telling yourself you've been strong for
too long and it's time to give yourself a break.
Clear: Clear out anything that is hampering
you from addressing your concerns. It is very
easy to get wrapped up in day to day life and
let ourselves get washed away. Move away
from any dangers, or remove dangers from
your area so you can focus on dealing with
the problem in hand.
Cordon: Cordon yourself off from distractions.
Take a little time out to rationalise your
thoughts. You may be able to sort things out
here. By having a little 'alone time' you'll be
amazed how life seems to slow down a little.
Control: Control your environment. Be prepared
for anything that you know may be approaching
and take steps to lessen the
effects. If possible, don't be alone. Have
someone around to talk to and tell them how
you feel. This will help to control your own
thoughts and emotions.
Finally, remember there is always someone
to turn to who watches over you constantly.
He is always there and always willing to listen.
Try it out? What have you got to lose.
Have Faith 7 |