Blips on the Richter Scale

 

Blips on the Richter scale.

 

Is this a blip or an Earthquake?

Will this tear down all my defensives and leave me breathless?

Will this cause me to process things for than 3 days?

Will this hurt or help me?

Is this the hill I want to die on?

 

These are the questions I often ask during life’s upsets. It’s usually fuelled with panic, worry, anger, and sadness. My Husband Jman and I have a Richter scale to decide how those potholes of life are just a pothole or a sinkhole. It started after cancer, it was the way for us to help each other process something that made the other upset. It’s now something we ask each other often. Is this a blip or an earthquake on our Richter scale.

 

I’m a California girl born and raised. And in California, Earthquakes are always on the back of our minds. It causes us to look at brick buildings in places outside of California and think that’s really bad materials if there is an earthquake. Wait nobody else does that????? Okay, I guess it’s just me. I’m a little bit of an earthquake nerd.

 

The Richter scale is the way that scientists measure an earthquake. 1 being the lowest and 10 being the hardest. Jman and I have developed one for our lives as well. Its to help the other understand why something is making us frustrated or upset.

 

I was raised with the attitude if something bothers you, you need to just get over it and forget about it. However, for myself, I need to be able to process something. I am one of those people who if you ask to make a decision, I will always feel better about my decision if I had time to process the decision.

 

Our Richter scale in our relationship is the way for processing time. Let’s say our battery dies in our car. Now we are on single car family, and we rely on our car to get us to work. One of us may be frustrated about now using the money we were hoping to use for something else. We will get frustrated. However to be reminded that in the grand scheme of things this is not a big deal.

 

I’ll admit that there are some upsets that require a few more days of processing. When there are big upsets I allow my self 3 days to process it. Sometimes it takes longer but usually, I allow it only 3 days. I heard on a tv show once that it takes 3 days for the brain to adjust to change, now I don’t know if that’s true or not but it helps me. It gives me time to process it and examine every facet of the problem. And by the end of the three days, I feel more like facing life.  

 

Now you may say Danie, just give the problem to God and he will take away your troubles. Which is true God takes away our troubles but he also wants us to learn. If I can bathe a problem in prayer and then learn about my reactions as well, it will help my Richter scale later on and not have the same reaction.

 

God gives me the wisdom to be able to navigate life and the people to help with that.

 

Now I ask you this question? Whatever are you going through is it a blip or an earthquake on the Richter scale of your life?  It may change from day to day too, it’s just how you respond.

 

The Lord takes delight in his people. He awards with victory those who are humble.

Psalm 149:4 NIRV

TTFN and God Bless and Keep you 🙂