How To Be Certain in Uncertain Times

I hear “everything is just so uncertain” multiple times every day. We are all very focused on the uncertainty of the future.

Did you know the future has ALWAYS been uncertain?

You could get in a car accident. You, or a loved one, could be diagnosed with something horrible. Your spouse could cheat on you or tell you they want a divorce. You could lose your job. There could be a terrorist attack.

We never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We just think we do. Three months ago you felt pretty certain what your life would look like today. But you were wrong.

Many of us were certain we’d be taking vacations this year, because we had booked them, paid for them, planned them, etc.

Many of us were certain we’d be working in our job, because we had no intention of leaving or doing anything that would get us fired.

We’ve been walking along the edge of a cliff all along but we were focused on the path ahead and didn’t turn our head to see the cliff on our right.

Now, something has gotten our attention. We turned our heads and see that we’re on the edge of a cliff and of course, we freak out. But we’ve always been walking this path. We just didn’t see or focus on the cliff.

Nothing has actually changed.

So now that we’ve noticed the cliff, how do we return our focus to the path ahead? How can we be certain now that we’ve recognized the uncertainty?

You can be certain in who you are.

You can be certain in how you show up in the world.

You can be certain that you’re going to be OK, because you always are; you always figure it out.

You can be certain that you’re kids are going to be OK. They are strong and resilient. You’ve taught them well and they will continue to learn through their struggles.

You can be certain that you will offer yourself grace when you don’t show up the way you want to. You are human and you’re doing your best.

You can be certain that God is watching over you, your family, and everyone else. He knows what you’re going through and will consecrate this for your good.

You can be certain that you’re going to feel a lot of emotions. It’s part of the human experience. It’s what you signed up for.

You can be certain that you’ll always take care of yourself and your family.

You can be certain in how you love those around you.

You can be certain that you’ll find new ways of doing things in this new normal.

You can be certain that you’ll get upset with your kids and short-tempered with your husband at times. And that’s ok.

You can be certain in how you face adversity.

You can be certain that good will come out of this, it always does.

You can be certain your kids are going to complain and argue. It doesn’t need to be a problem.

You can be certain that when your kids do complain and argue, you still get to choose how you want to respond. You can be calm when they are not.

You can be certain that you’ll use this time to learn, grow, and progress and become the next version of yourself.

The uncertainty of life has always been there. It will always be there. But there is so much more certainty. Be certain.