It’s true. Much of our stress is self-induced. We bring it on ourselves. Our minds work overtime and cause us to stew about things that will most likely never happen. And we just stir the pot of fear and what-ifs as if that’s all we have to do. I guess it’s important to ask ourselves why we’re stressing over something that may never happen. Have you actually sat down and calculated the risks? Have you listed both the pros and cons to see how they weigh on the scale of equality? Or, are you just giving yourself over to the fears of what if the unlikely really does happen?
I know. I’ve been doing the same thing for the past week or two. I don’t sleep well. I’m edgy. I’m easily distracted. And I just want this issue to go away. But the problem is that I’ve willfully and gladly created it. So now I have to live with the circus going on in my head. I don’t yet know how the situation will fully play out, so I must wait. I have high hopes and even higher expectations that all things will be right in the end. But there’s a small but mighty argument going on in my head that tells me something different could happen. Something could go terribly wrong. And am I prepared for that ugly scenario to be acted out in real life? No. I’m not.
Here’s what I have to tell myself. I can’t control the next crisis. And honestly. There may not be a crisis. Oh. My imaginings tell me there could be a crisis of magnificent proportions. But when I lay out the situation on paper I can see the likelihood that that happening is pretty small. So why do I fret? Why do I fear? Because I don’t know the outcome of the situation. And I don’t like surprises. So I have to conjure up in my mind all the possible scenarios to prepare myself for the worst. Even though they’ll probably never happen.
I’m sure I’m not the only person on this planet who prefers a calm and smooth life. Oh. I know there are some who enjoy the chaos of the unknown. There are some who instigate trouble wherever they go. They seem to always know how to cause a scene or stir up someone in their circle. But that’s not me. I prefer peace and tranquility. And right now, well, I do feel peaceful. But I’m short on tranquility.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7
The thing is. I do give my worries and cares to God, but then they seem to come creeping back to me. I find them swirling in my mind at different times of the day. Or when I’m lying awake in the middle of the night. It’s frustrating to be so anxious, but this anxiousness won’t last forever. It’s only for a season. I know that, so why can’t I just lay it all down and be done with it? Because when it’s all said and done, I really do trust God.
Just ask a pregnant woman if she is anxious-free for those nine months of growing another human in her own body. The positive pregnancy test. The morning sickness. The weight gain. The heartburn. The flutter of new life. The back aches. The unknowns of labor and delivery. The new wardrobe. The doctor’s appointments. The ultrasound. The birth plan. The name. The care of a newborn. The nursery. The financial burden. And then she must raise the child to adulthood. Talk about stress. But it’s a stressor that most women willingly choose to add to their resume of life.
Just ask a new employee on their first day of a new job. They’re in a position to start anew, sometimes willingly or sometimes forced. They’ve left the old and familiar. They’ve sat through numerous interviews. They’ve submitted to pre-employment screenings and tests. They’ve accepted an offer. Now they walk into their new job full of hopes and fears. They have no idea what lies ahead. But they do it willingly.
Life is full of unknowns. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow. Even when we choose to walk through new situations, God is with us. As long as we aren’t choosing to sin, God is walking with us through life’s changes. Even when we don’t know all the minute details, we can trust an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God to go before us to chart the path and to go behind us to protect us. He is with his faithful followers as we walk through life.
Mercy for the Day 