FROM MY POINT OF VIEW...

As an injured worker myself, may I offer the following thoughts for your consideration?

I would hope that rather than allowing themselves to feel victimized by the workers' compensation system, injured workers would see that there is always a lesson to be learned from everything that happens to us in life.
Everything happens for a reason.

In His infinite wisdom, God created us with the ability to make choices. We can choose to view our lives and our circumstances in a positive or a negative light. From there our challenge is to be strong enough and wise enough to deal with the consequences of our choices. Because once we are injured we are faced with a series of choices. We must decide whether or not we should report our injury and file a claim. How soon after the injury should we file the claim? When should we see a doctor and which doctor should we see? Should we handle our own claim or should we seek the services of an attorney? These are just a few of the instances when the choices we make can have a serius impact not only on our claim but also on our lives and our relationships with others. Keeping in mind that an injured worker could be suffering though their current ordeal as a result of their choices, why not ask yourself the following questions.

At the time of my injury, what was my frame of mind? What were my priorities? How did I feel about my job...was I satified or was I dissatisfied and thinking about changing careers? What was the spiritual condition of my heart and my mind? How was I treating others? If you take the time to honestly examine yourself, you might be surprised at what you find out about yourself.

Is it possible that perhaps you were at a stage in your life when you needed to learn a particular lesson, and you were too blind to see it the lesson needed to re-enforced or your needed to be "disciplined" so to speak? As Hebrews 12:11 brings out, "True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but grievous, yet afterward to those who have been trained by it, it yields peaceable fruit, namely, righteousness." These words are meant to help us appreciate that after we navigate our way through our trials and tribulations and hopefully, learn our lessons, there is indeed a reward waiting for us at the end of our ordeal.

Hebrews 12:12-13 continues, "Hence straighten up the hands that hand down and the enfeebled knees, and keep making straight paths for your feet that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed." Your body will not heal unless you first start working on healing your mind. So talk to someone you feel that you can unburden your soul to. Be it a doctor, a mental health worker, your minister, or your mate. Oh, and a healthy dose of prayer never hurt either. Godis available to listen to you 24 hours a day. And best of all, you don't have to wait for an appointment, He doesn't charge by the hour, and He makes house calls. Never forget that you are a much-loved, much blessed child of God and as such you deserve to be happy and to have your needs met.

Ad when you start healing you mind and your outlook on life gradually changes and becomes more positive, your body will start to get better (it is a known fact that stress starts in the mind and affects the body). And when your body starts feeling better, LOOK OUT WORLD!!!

With your energized spirit, newly healed mind and revitalized body you will be able to go out and do battle with the workers' compensation system. Your heightened sense of self-esteem will allow you to feel confident that you DESERVE to achieve your goals. Yes, you can WIN BACK control of your life, you ARE entitled to BE TREATED with dignity and respect, and you should BE COMPENSATED in a more equitable manner for the losses you have suffered.

You are a victim only if you allow yourself to be one. God hasn't given up on your yet, so what makes you think that you have the right to give up on yourself?

I REFUSE

I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted, and here's the reason why.
I have a God who's mighty, who's sovereign and supreme
I have a God who loves me, and I am on his team.

He is all-wise and powerful, knees bend at the sound of His name.
Though everything is changeable, my God remains the same.
God knows all that's happening, from beginning to the end
His presence is my comfort, He is my dearest Friend.

When sickness comes to weaken me, to bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God, into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten to rob me of my peace,
He draws me close unto his breast, where all my strivings cease.

When my heart melts within me, and weakness takes control,
He gathers me in His arms, He soothes my heart and soul.
The great "I AM" is with me, my life is in His hand,
The "Son of the Lord" is my hope, it's in His strength I stand.

Yes, I refuse to be defeated, my eyes are on my God,
He is my all, my everything, His name I shall always laud.



A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

--Winston Churchill