Heavy Weight Champion?

What happens when we are anxious about something?  Can you sleep?  How's your eating?  How's your thought process?  How are your relationships?

I am, by my own admission, a worrier who is anxious about everything that I worry about.

   *  Can I sleep? Not without medication and even then, not too well.
   *  How's my eating? I go from "can't eat enough" to "not hungry" to "tossing my cookies."
   *  How's my thought process?  My mind immediately goes through the worst possible outcomes and then takes them even further down the "worse" trail.
   *  How are my relationships?  Well, my Bride is longsuffering and understanding, because I tend to turn inward and shut people out when I feel anxious.  

Here's a little tidbit, when we are under stress and anxiety, our heart is effected.  No, our literal heart, the blood pumping muscle.  Why do you think Anxiety Medication usually makes you relax (and sometimes not care about anything)?  Because worry and anxiety are damaging to almost every aspect of our lives.

So what do we do to help when we feel anxious and/or worried?  
     1.  Remember that God is in control, tell Him what's bothering you and thank Him for dealing with it.
     2.  Find something different to distract your mind.  
     3.  Talk with someone about what you are experiencing.
     4.  If this is a chronic condition, speak with your physician.
     5.  Sometimes a hot shower or hot bath will help.  If your gym has a steam room, use it.
     6.  Sometimes a massage will help.
     7.  Understand that you are not the only person going through worry and anxiety.

The one thing that I have learned, and am still learning, is that when I worry or feel anxious about something I cannot control, I am trying to do God's job.  I have to be reminded that God is not surprised by my situation and has already worked out a solution that will ultimately benefit me and Glorify Him!  
     

New Math

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:27 

 

I was never very good at math.  Once I ran out of fingers and toes, I was done.  And the ever dreaded Word Problems..... forgive me the nasty little flashback.....I just heard in my mind, "If a train leave from Boston traveling to Dallas at a rate of 85 mph, and another train leaves from Portland traveling to Baton Rouge at a rate of 73 mph, what color is the dog in Phoenix?"  I wondered how a train just suddenly begins its journey at such a high rate of speed!  I also wondered why anyone on either train would wonder why Phoenix apparently had only one dog.  So you can imagine how excited my math teachers were when I would raise my hand to ask a question.

One of the joys of my job is that I have the opportunity to teach new police officers...impart some of my wisdom, if you will.  Okay, I get to share with them from my years of screwing up life...but it's still pretty exciting for me.  One of the classes I am allowed to teach is Law Enforcement Stress Awareness, whereby these new officers (some of them actually stay awake) that you WILL encounter stress in your lives.  Huh......who would have thought that we will encounter stress in our lives?

And here's the kicker, what causes me to worry and stress might not bother you at all.  BUT if you are a good friend, you'll notice that it is bothering me and, at the very least, sit with me to let me voice it.

Now comes the dreaded "Word Problem."  You are having a great day.  Then you receive some news that you don't like (insert your own worrisome issue here).  Now have a choice, let that news item consume you and you spend sleepless nights and zombie-like days worrying about the issue; or you can change what you can and accept that you cannot change some things.

 

Worry will steal you joy if you let it.  I learned, and am still learning, that it's my reaction (how I handle) the situations of life that will determine if my joy is stolen from me or not.   All my worrying will not add a single cent to my bank account.  All my worrying will not heal a single health concern.  All my worrying will not make me taller.  All my worrying will not make me better looking.  All my worrying does is steal my joy.  Worry takes our eyes off Christ and THAT is when our joy evaporates!