Facing the New Year when Coping with Divorce

When you’re healing from divorce, the New Year is a landmark reminder that life is different now. The future spreads out ahead and may seem to say, hey, are you ready for this? Are you?

If the future has you excited or at least at peace, yay you! If not, New Year’s resolutions may be a good way to set goals and move your life forward. If you’re still struggling with the raw emotions of divorce you may need New Day resolutions instead.

One Day at a Time

The pain of divorce can stifle your vision for the future for a while.  The future may seem scary at best.  Long range planning may give way to simply trying to get through today.  If you’re finding it hard to see beyond today, that’s okay.

With divorce there is a season for taking life one day at a time. You need to process the past and come to terms with all the changes in your life. You need time to grieve the losses before you can fully shift your focus to the future. Resolutions for the New Year may instead need to be resolutions for moving even one small step forward each day.  Even if it’s two steps forward and one step backwards, you can smile if you’re moving forward at all.

Words of Encouragement

If a New Day’s resolution is the best you can muster now, I want to give you these words of encouragement:

1. It’s normal for healing from divorce to require time processing the past.
2. Shifting your focus to the present and future will come in time if you work at it.
3. Healing from divorce takes time, intent, and work but it is within your reach.
4. Every step that takes you forward, no matter how small, is something you can celebrate.
5. If you lean into God he will see you to a brighter place of hope and peace.

Yes, there’s hope. You can reach a place where the emotions of divorce no longer push your buttons. At that point you will be better able to cast a vision for your future that spans beyond just today.

The best news is, no matter where you are on this journey, God is making a way in the wilderness. He is doing a new thing in your life. You don’t have to live the rest of your life looking back.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Talk with God

God, help me to make it through each day.  Give me strength to learn what you want me to learn from my experiences.  Teach me that in you there is hope for a better life.

Do you Need Help in Moving Your Life Past Divorce?

If you need help with moving your life forward from divorce,

• ORDER RENEE’S BOOK, “Peace after Divorce”
• Or you can find out how your church can START A GROUP LEAD A GROUP