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October 6th Stop Freaking Out and Relax
Let’s face it we each have a past that sometimes haunts us.
Those dark days when something comes crashing in to ruin our day and our first inclination is to react.
There’s a saying “When you’re rattled, don’t rush” in other words, when you don’t know what to do, don’t react, wait and listen.
As I write these words I do so with a huge smile on my face because I am not all good at this technique.
The advice from the sages is “the first thing to do is nothing.” But I’m a guy who grew up with plenty of bad days.
As I write a flood of memories rises to the surface.
I remember blocking out bad stuff so my day would not be ruined and yet blocking didn’t work today we call it repressing.
At 63 I’m starting to SLOWLY figure out that the best action is no action.
My battle is not the “moment at hand” it is trusting God.
In Streams in the Desert, a devotional I read daily, it says “Worry Prevents God from doing anything for us. If our minds are distracted and our hearts distressed: if the darkness that overshadows us and strikes terror into us: The Lord can do nothing for us.”
Instead we must nuzzle up to God, put our hand in His and allow him to lead the way without freaking out.
When you grow up without that trust in someone to guide you it’s hard to understand and do.
When the role model you had was to criticize and tell you what you did wrong, rather than love you to a place of inaction and waiting, listening is not second nature and must be learned.
God knows the way out.
The Peace of God must silence our hearts and irradiate our fear.
Think back on those times you followed your fear and filled your mind with all that could go wrong.
How often were you wrong?
If you’re like me most of the time, If I’d slowed down and not tried to prevent my day from being ruined, it wouldn’t have been.
Oh, God how I want to be that guy.
I’m getting there, but unlearning years of listening to the lies in my head, takes time.
I got eternity to get this down.
Hopefully it won’t take that long.
(Huge Smile)
Having the faith to do this requires us to trust in the One in whom we put our faith. Sadly, because of what happened in Eden, it is not in our nature to either trust or have faith....which is why our Lord has patience in His dealings with us. Job said it very well: "He knows the way that I take, and when He has tried/tested me, I will come forth as gold." Indicating there are trials and testings, but we aren't alone in them...we have to nuzzle up to God, as you said...dig in and find our faith, our trust, our hope, or whatever will power we can muscle up...He IS there.