Family Coping

     Often times we think of coping as just getting by. Hanging in there until the ride is over. But if there is anything I've learned about handling stress, it is more effective when we prepare ourselves instead of let our stress or crisis take us for a ride.

      Did you know crown molding can cope? Actually when you cope crown molding you are cutting it to fit perfectly against the other walls crown molding. It looks something like this:

As you can see the cut piece of crown molding is fitted perfectly to the other. This allows for a tight seal and you only need a few nails to keep it in place. We can cope in our families by establishing good relationships between family members before stress and crises come. We can also be willing to adapt to the needs of our family members. By cutting off the unhealthy and unnecessary habits we struggle with, we can more perfectly fit together as a family so when hardships come we aren't torn apart. It also is through the pressure of stress that we become closer and fit together perfectly. 

Did you know that pools cope as well? The coping on a pool is the tile boundary of the pool. It looks like this:

Coping establishes the boundaries around the pool. It also helps the pool maintain its shape. It is often made out of a strong tile that's been fired to incredibly high temperatures so that when the water laps against the tile it doesn't weather the tile away. The tile is often smooth so that when you get in and out of the pool you don't scratch yourself. It also has a lip so that when you're swimming and you get tired you can grab hold of the edge of the wall. When we cope to prepare our families we are establishing the boundaries in and surrounding our family before the hard times come. Our boundaries help us to keep our family dynamic even during and after a family crisis. If we view our times of stress as strengthening opportunities we can fire our family in the kiln of life to make us stronger so our family can withstand the weathering of life. As we strive to smooth out the rough edges of our family we can have a more enjoyable family atmosphere. We also want to establish ways for our children to have a place of refuge where they can cling to their family for support and safety.

I challenge you to find ways to teach your family to cope or prepare now so that when trials come you can be unified as a family and face the challenge together confidently!