From Stress to Peacefulness

I sat at my laptop last night staring at the blank word document.  My thoughts wouldn't settle, but I knew one thing: this paper is due tomorrow.  I had gone through the source material, marked it up, and understood the essence of the assignment. You would think that I knew exactly what words to type on the keyboard.  No, that's wrong.  My brain was spent, and I began to stress about how I wouldn't turn the paper in on time--get a horrible grade--not pass the class--not graduate college--live out my days jumping trains and stealing people's garden vegetables...  

That may be a bit dramatic, but I did stress.  A long and slow process that took my soul out-of-body and squeezed the joy dry.  And that's not dramatic at all; it's true.

The thought that one little thing (like a D on a 2-page paper) can destroy my entire life is a lie.  It's just another one of those sucky situations that make the lyrics to the song "It's A Hard-Knock Life" relatable.  I just need to take a step back from the stress and a renewing breath and, as Elsa would suggest, let it go.  Unfortunately, that's not what I did.

Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on a lonely Tuesday night, I dug myself into a deep hole that seemed near impossible to climb out of.  I yelled (out loud, to no one), complained to my mom on the phone, sobbed angry tears, and paced until my feet got tired.  I did everything a normal person would do when frustration hits.  I did everything but turn to God.

You see, I am a reader.  I indulge myself in the words of others and admire the beauty of how someone on this earth can conjure certain phrases.  I even read my Bible and do my devotions.  I read and read the promises and commands of Jesus, but I lack on the side of remembering them.  When I go through any kind of tough situation--whether stressful homework or an emotional crisis--I disregard the things the Bible says about how to deal with them.  I act out in anger, sadness, etc. until the current emotion I have fades away.

We all do it.  We study the truths of God, but when it comes time to act them out, we forget.  Our sinful nature focuses on how to receive immediate relief which usually involves some kind of emotional breakdown.

To be honest, it's extremely hard to keep a Christ-like attitude when we're in the midst of personal turmoil.  We need strength and persistence and love in order to turn the other cheek.  We need God.

Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7,
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

It's all right here, folks, even though we all fail to truly see it.  Paul tells us to pray about everything, and thank God for all He has done.  If we do those two simple things, we will receive His unfailing peace.

Pray & be thankful.

About six months ago, I started reading a book that I think might change your life: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (www.aholyexperince.com).  Ann writes about how she had a hard time in life with anxiety but eventually gained the peace of God because she kept a journal.  This woman recovered from severe anxiety because she wrote 1,000 things she was thankful for in a notebook.  What an amazing transformation from such a simple idea.

When I finished this book, I couldn't help but start a "eucharisteo" journal of my own.  (Eucharisteo is the Greek term for "thanksgiving.")  Ever since I started, I randomly write down gifts from God, constantly looking back through the pages.  I promise you that it changes the way you see your life.  Once you begin to realize all of the gifts God gives you, your attitude will change for the better.

Prayer comes with the notion of being thankful.  After writing down gifts, verbally thanking God for them is  a way to connect more with Him.

So start a eucharisteo journal and pray through it.  You will begin to sense God's peace being poured on you as you trust Him more through the providence He has already shown you.