Home of the 15th STB UMT

The word crisis can mean vastly different things at different times of our lives. As a child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), I would have some sort of crisis nearly everyday due to an amazing ability to procrastinate. The crisis would last until I found my shoes, or when my homework would finally be completed. Certainly, each crisis felt very real. Now, those days of crisis are nearly past, and in its place is a burden for those who are experiencing a crisis, whatever it may be.

The above illustrates that reality for each person is the person's perception. When someone experiences a situation which is perceived as a crisis, for them, it is a crisis. People are equipped with an awareness of available resources. When the situation demands more than the resources, it can be perceived as a crisis. For instance, when all available time is nearly elapsed and the test is not done, a crisis may occur. Simply put, a crisis is the point where people realize the demand exceeds the resources, and the response is hopelessness. Crisis situations coupled with grief, such as a loss of a loved one, are even more demanding.

Two methods of coping with a crisis emphasize relationships. These apply both before and during the crisis, so preparing for a crisis and working through a crisis have similar aspects. First, allow people around you to be a resource. Resources assist in the crisis by allowing someone else to do part of what needs to be done. Relationships, of course, need to focus on more than this, but allow others to help by asking. I'm sure you've heard, "if only we'd known, we would have helped." So ask. Likewise, be someone who helps others in situations, even just by being present. Set out to be active in a community which supports one another. Giving, especially during a crisis, assists both parties tremendously.

Second, allow people to adjust skewed perceptions to reality. While the benefits of helping one another certainly ease a crisis, another key of relationships is the ability of people to reel others back into reality. A brief pause initiated by a friend can offer the reality check to recognize some hope. Sometimes, a crisis can be self-inflicted. There are a variety of ways to create a crisis (arbitrary deadlines, undue worry over limits of resources, unrealistic expectations), but a crisis always involves hopelessness. Relationships help bring a second look into the resources, and give a fresh look into the reality of the situation. When the reality painted by the other person is seen, hope may be restored and the crisis can more easily be handled.

Spiritually, a major crisis can shake foundations deep within. Here too, a relationship focuses the hopelessness of the situation into an understanding of reality. However, this reality is more than that which we can see, but a reality which encompasses eternity and the spiritual dimension of life. People are spiritual beings, and a major crisis has the ability to alter or deepen spiritual beliefs. For Christians, Saint Paul offers encouragement by writing about a hope offered through a relationship with Jesus. Paul affirms that a relationship with Jesus brought him hope through many of his major times of crisis, from shipwrecks to unjust prison sentences. Edward Mote (1797-1874) wrote the lyrics to the hymn The Solid Rock which catches Paul's message well:

Relationships are key to handling a crisis. Both before and during a crisis, relationships assist people in restoring hope to the hopeless situation. The restored hope directly affects the ability to cope with the situation. Dive into a community of people who encourage and support one another. Further, ensure hope's permanence by assisting others who might otherwise face a crisis alone.