How I Got Over: A Short Story Devotional for the Difficult Days of Life

By Patricia Jones Byrd

The Bible clearly does not pull any punches when it comes to the troubles of this world that will regularly test our faith and challenge our resolve to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Job 14:14 assures us that if we are born of woman, it is in our best interest to maximize each moment of our lives and soldier up, because we will most assuredly wrestle against the principalities and powers that seek to wreak havoc on every aspect of our lives.

How I Got Over: A Short Story Devotional for the Difficult Days of Life is a realistic depiction of some of the most overwhelming challenges that I have confronted in various seasons of my life. It addresses times in my life when I was used, misused, and forsaken by people closest to my heart. It tells of times when I made reckless personal sacrifices to add value to the productivity, profitability, and innovation of companies – only to have those companies usher me out of the building, under the guise of reduction in force or some other euphemistic rationale that would make them feel better about themselves and keep their companies out of court. As you continue to turn the pages, you will hear of times when religion and morally objectionable conduct severely undermined my marital relationship. This short story devotional also speaks to unrelenting thorns in my flesh and fears of living lonely and of dying alone. 

Trust me when I tell you, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair!” I’ve been in some storms that almost took me out and under. And I am confident that I am not the only one out here being battered about by great afflictions. The seemingly unrelenting circumstances of life will invariably test the wit, will, and resolve of us all. Tests and trials are inevitable, folks. No one (regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or zip code) exits this world without battle scars. No one! So what's a soul to do?

When life is coming at you with a vengeance, resist the urge to give up or give in to its fury. Instead, lift your eyes unto the hills, cry out to the heavens, and trust God to come to your rescue. Trust him to bring you out and over, because he most assuredly will!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639617876

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How I Got Over

A Short Story Devotional for the Difficult Days of Life

Patricia Jones Byrd

Copyright © 2022 by Patricia Jones Byrd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Yellow Dress

The Pile On Effect

I Thought I Could Trust You!

I’ll Sit This One Out

Through the Woods

Mount Carmel Is Coming!

Thorn in the Flesh

Religion Almost Ruined Us!

To a Thousand Generations

Sons and Daughters of Grace

Expiration Date

Cookies and Cream

Contents

Acknowledgment 5

Introduction 7

The Yellow Dress 9

The Pile On Effect 12

I Thought I Could Trust You! 16

I’ll Sit This One Out 19

Through the Woods 23

Mount Carmel Is Coming! 27

Thorn in the Flesh 32

Religion Almost Ruined Us! 35

To a Thousand Generations 41

Sons and Daughters of Grace 45

Expiration Date 50

Cookies and Cream 54

Topical Index 59

Acknowledgment

So many times in my life, I would have fainted had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Day after day, I doubted that I would make it through the overwhelming challenges that life brought my way. But God…! And so it is fitting that I acknowledge the Lord for his almighty power, his infinite glory, and his love that overshadows me daily. I honor him for his death, his blessed resurrection, and for tolerating my immeasurable human frailties and bad habits. I honor him for being with me during the best and worst of times, for lifting my head in times of sorrow and grief, and for shouldering me up when my own strength could not sustain me. I celebrate God for his holy presence and for the good people he placed in my life down through the years:

My parents who taught me the way of the cross, how to get a prayer through, and who were my most steadfast champions in all the world.

My brothers and sisters who are the absolute best siblings on the planet! They stood up for me when I was bullied as a kid and fought with me against the Satanic bullies of my adult years. My brothers opened their doors, and my sisters opened their hearts. They all see more in me than I tend to see in myself.

My daughter who is wise beyond her years, who has her own stories to tell, and who has grown into a young woman that values the wisdom of her mother.

My best friend who knows my thoughts and methods, who can complete my sentences, and who is always for me and never against me.

My godson with whom I share a kindred spirit, whose love for me is as unconditional as humanly possible, and who listened intently and with great interest as I read to him various chapters from this literary work.

My rock of a husband, who allows me to be me, supports me in any and everything I choose to do, and who has walked with and loved me through virtually every problematic season of my adult life. He pushes me toward greatness and tells me that I am the smartest person he knows. To him I say, You don’t get out enough, kid. He is my resting place.

I pray that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the sweet communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. May the Lord crown your heads with glory, bless everything that you purpose to accomplish, and be with your children and your children’s children to a thousand generations. May your name and theirs be mighty in all the world. Amen.

Introduction

Have you ever gone through a storm, the magnitude and/or length of which made you feel like throwing up your hands in defeat? I am not talking about the inclement weather issues of life (i.e., one month late on a bill, being overlooked for a promotion, a migraine headache, the lawn care service scalping your grass in the dead of summer, a husband who is not handy, a wife who does not cook, or kids who are a bit cantankerous and who get a tad off course every now and then). I am talking about the tough stuff that makes you feel lifeless, depressed, hopeless, helpless, and weary of life. The stuff that makes it hard to breathe. The tough stuff that makes you feel like you cannot make it (or perhaps even want to make it) another day.

What do you do when life is daily sucking the life out of you? How do you even begin