Stress!

This post is a week overdue, ooops. Let's get to it though!

The week started of with a discussion of family stresses. These would include financial stresses, addiction in the family, disability, accidents, death, etc. In the reading that we did there was a particular stressor that made me think a lot about the role that it played in my family life and how impacting it has been.
Addiction.

Alcohol has been one of the biggest stressors in my family aside from all those other stressors that present themselves in the family.It seriously consumes an individual and turns them so dependent of that nasty stuff. Rather than seeking out help from the family, an alcoholic will only turn to alcohol as a means of comfort. AS if alcohol could provide the counsel and love that family does!
Another addiction that consumed my family is pornography. It seriously is, wow, I can't even describe it for what it is. It is so damaging to not only the individual who consumes it, but also the family Like with alcohol, it is turned to when things get tough. It brings comfort. Seriously, as if! It is like a gateway drug--then you venture out and do even more damaging things!

Aside from these main big stressors that were preset in my family-- it was our faith in the Lord and my mom's steadfastness to remain in the church despite my dad's persecution that allowed us to in a way develop a force shield of protection against them so that they wouldn't infect us as well.
That's what's so great about the Gospel-- it allows for resilience against stress for individuals according to their faith.

In my future family, I'm sure that stressors will present themselves-- I just hope that addictions isn't one of them!

As I've thought about it, stress can be compared to that diamond analogy-- the right amount of pressure will produce a diamond. The right amount and kind of stress will perfect a family and shape them. Remember that the Lord doesn't give you struggles that you can't handle-- every stress in your life is meant to shape you into the kind of person that the Lord wants you to be.