How do we deal with emotional issues after flood?

It's already 26 days since flood swept over our city and damaged around 7 billion baht ($234 million)worth of properties! Coping with a flood can be challenging. We're dealing with not only the flood itself but also emotional issues. Waves of depression set in when the survivors experience fully the losses they have incurred- destruction of their houses, shops, businesses and lands in all their terrible physicality.

After the flood, we deemed it important not to be overwhelmed. It is prudent that we rest and eat well.We tried to keep a manageable schedule and tackle only one task at a time. That's the reason why it took almost 2 weeks for us to thoroughly clean our living room and our surroundings.

Last Sunday as we went to church, our minister tackle some helpful tips as treatment for depression that I would love to share to you:

• Avoid being alone. Force yourself to be with people.
• Seek help from others.
• Sing. Music can uplift your spirit as it did for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23).
• Praise and give thanks. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
• Lean heavily on the power of God's Word.
• Rest confidently in the presence of God's Spirit. “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5).

Yes, we're depressed after the flood but God called us to maintain faith and keep our focus on HIS love and the hope He has given us for eternity. In doing so, we can weather the storms of life. It can be done. It's done!

How do we deal with stress and anxiety during FLOOD?

What do you do when you're stressed and tensed? If you asked the smokers , they'll surely reason that cigarettes (or pipes and dominican cigars even) bring down the level of irritability, anxiety and stress. They believe smoking helps to relieve tension and improve the mood.

I don't smoke neither my hubby so you won't see us smoking when we're under pressure. The recent flood that happened in the city is one of the circumstances that is out of our control, we felt stress. Our safety was threatened at that time, we got anxious. How do we cope with that as Christians?

We PRAY. The Bible recommends taking everything to God in prayer. We pray that the water won't continue to rise and submerging our 2nd floor. We pray for our safety and for all the people in Hatyai City. This verse in Philippians offers the comforting promise . Our minds were protected by a peace that goes beyond our ability to understand.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

After praying we started praising and the stress and anxiety just seems to go away. Praise and worship took our minds and thoughts off of ourselves, off our problems, and refocus them on God. As we begin to praise and worship God, suddenly our problems seem small in light of the largeness of God.

How about you? How do you deal with stress in life?