2012: I resolve not to stress out so much.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

I hate to admit it, but I am a worrier.

Through a medication mishap two years ago, my chemistry took a bad spell, and I have been battling obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) responses to stress and fatigue.  Thankfully, my nature is to be laid back and optimistic, and that coupled with a lot of help from God is taking me out of this acute state. I find OCD fascinating in a way.  For me, I could be merrily chatting, and then a brain hiccup would occur and I would worry about something for a few seconds, and then resume my conversation where I left off.  I called them OCD commercials!

Any mental illness can be a real trial.  For me, the worst part is the reaction from others.  Those who are ignorant will coax you to “snap out of it.” What I say to that is, “Hey, buddy, if I could fix things in a split second, don’t you think I would?”  My heart goes out to my fellow soldiers who battle their brains each day.

There is something else about me that many do not know.  I have magical powers.  Yes, it’s true.  I can draw all sorts of useless situations and trouble my way without even trying.  I am not a drama queen, I am a drama magnet! I have no idea how I even do it. One moment I am minding my own business, just being myself, and the next, people start freaking out around me.  Perhaps I should tell them to snap out of it…

And there’s my body.  As soon as I triumphantly climb out of one hurdle, a new part of me goes dreadfully wrong.  Maybe I should just tell my body to snap out of it, too.

I am a worrier.  Not an unreasonable one, but I am one.  How about you?

My situation is not that unique.  I bet many of you think you have drama-magnet powers, too.  I know we all at one time or another face problems with our health, both mental and physical.  And there are just so many other things that can occupy our head-space:

• children
• parents
• spouses and partners
• neighbours
• finances
• work environments
• political tensions
• church atmospheres

Many of us know that “do not worry” message that Christ taught us.  Hands up all of you who want to say to Him, “Yes, but…”

What do you want to tell Jesus after the word, “but”? I suggest that you say it to Him in prayer. He can take it. He also can do something about it. Just have faith that He’ll do it, even the teeniest bit of faith.  He’ll take your teeny bit of faith and grow it in you, if you let Him. Remember He said:

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but when it grows, it’s like a tree. When Christ talks about the mountain, we can take that as a metaphor for our greatest challenges.  What is the mountain that you need to move, by His strength?  Notice that He says that nothing will be impossible for you? Jesus is not mincing words.  He is stating as a fact that even with a little faith in Him, He will take you where you need to go, to get through whatever faces you.

A few years ago a woman in our small group kept forwarding e-mail from this other woman who was dying of cancer.  I can still remember how blown away I was by her sheer joy.  She talked about the word terminal, and likened it to a bus terminal, saying that she was reaching her destination, and she seemed to be looking forward to it! Every moment she was still alive, she cherished her life.  I’ll never forget how very close to her death, her husband bought her a ring.  She described its glitter and hues with such rapture, it was like she understood beauty and color in a way that we had all forgotten or had taken for granted.

When I heard that she finally died, I was happy for her, because she was so very happy herself. I remember thinking, “Wow, now that’s is a way to go.” One thing about this lady, was that she had such faith in the Lord.  She knew beyond a doubt in her heart that He was waiting for her, so she peacefully enjoyed the last days of her life, unburdened by worry.

The Irish have an expression: Don’t borrow trouble.  We stole it from Jesus, Who said:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)

Sometimes when there is too much on my plate, it’s a good thing.  I reach this place when there is so much I can worry about that I see how ridiculous it is.  I just say, “Forget it!” to the stress and hand it over to the Lord. (Now, if I could I just relinquish it sooner, that would be awesome.)  One thing that really helps me is relying on faithful friends of faith! They encourage and pray for me when I cannot do it for myself.  Their love and support gives me strength, and a shared burden is so much lighter.

So, do yourselves a favour.  Don’t snap out of it.  Don’t suck it up, either. Starting talking.  Start sharing. With God, and others. Face your trials with loving people surrounding you. Know that an ever-loving God goes before you every step of the way.  With Him, nothing is impossible, and His will for your life is perfect.

No matter how big your but, is, don’t worry. You still look good in those pants.