Be Anxious About Nothing!

For quite some time now, I've "suffered" (strong word maybe?) from heart palpitations. I could be watching a movie or reading a book and my heart is pumping out of my chest as though I was just frightened or ran a marathon. Needless to say stress is a trigger. This means nights of little to no sleep, of feeling tired and slightly frustrated, or just generally feeling less than my optimum.

In recent times, it resurfaced having not affected me much for months. It's partly because of work obligations and my desire to do everything right and well, without slipping too far behind on the work to be done. I kept looking at the reports not written, the chapter that is lagging, the emails not caught up on, and the myriad of meetings to attend. The more I thought about it, the more the palpitations emerged. Despite deep breaths, it remained relatively constant...at least a few hours a day.

A few Sundays ago, I was preparing my Sunday School lesson, and the passage for discussion was Luke 12:22-34. The topic: Inspired to Trust. Passage summary: by worrying and being anxious, one cannot add a single hour or minute or millisecond to the day. Further, it only causes unnecessary discomfort and even pain. Recommended action: Trust God! Let go of what cannot be changed and just go with His flow. (Perhaps it's noteworthy that the previous lesson was on Asking, Seeking and Knocking, knowing God can answer prayers).

This is not a lesson that was new. But it was clearly one that needed reiterating. I took it to heart. It's a good thing that I see my lessons as not just for my student(s), but myself also. I digested the message and accepted that it was Divine direction that brought me there. As with learned and cultured behaviour, it takes time for change. But over the course of a week, the change began. The work load has not eased, but my palpitations are little to non-existent. Why? My attitude changed (or rather, is changing). There is so much I can do and no more. But life goes on... I'm also more convinced about the need for Balance in my life, and I cannot be too preoccupied with one area of life while ignoring others.

The result of this has been a testimony in and of itself. It has allowed me to trust that God will not put me in situations that are too much to handle. If I am secure in that belief, I simple do my best and leave the rest. My health and peace of mind are too important to treat with disregard - it does not honour anyone, does not help anyone and profits me nothing. The temptation will come again to get back into this destructive habit (since I've been here before), but that's the beauty of life...you live, you learn, you grow. Wash, rinse, repeat... just do it better each time.

In the meantime, anxiety and worry are becoming a thing of the past... work in progress (WIP) anyways!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Real Encounter with Trauma

I am a part of a church that tries to make a difference in whatever way we can in a downtown community. We do it by building relationships with the people who then allow us into their personal space. Only then can lasting and impacting change take place. Today, we met for our community walks...only today was a little different for me. I have options in terms of where I drive, and today I chose to drive one particular way, even though I was wondering why I would choose to go that way. I then had all sorts of alternatives in my head as to how I could avoid going where I was headed, but after a while I just drove as planned. When I was almost at my destination, I came upon an accident. It seem to have happened not too long before I got there. One car was in a light pole, and another was half way across the road, blocking one of the two lanes of traffic. I noticed that a lady was sitting on the side of the road, while some gentlemen were walking around, talking etc. I pulled over to see ...
Read more

Freedom to...

Freedom... it's a very interesting concept. In the natural, it means that we can do as like, when we like, how we like. We can say what we want, vote for who we want, etc. The list goes on. The problem with this is that our freedom to do - perhaps based on our morals or even that of our country or religion - may very well threaten or relieve someone else of their freedom. I found myself reflecting on this as news comes to us from Orlando about a mass shooting that took the lives of at least 50 persons, and even as we remember the many occasions before (both home and abroad) that many lost their lives at the hands of evil. I also had reason to reflect on this because of what happened yesterday. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours in Miami, specifically visiting the Dolphin Mall. It was one of those I'm-enjoying-some-Le-downtime, where I was free to do whatever I wanted - relax, window shop, eat... I was loving it. I decided with a hours to kill that I'd...
Read more

Promises and Prayers - The Near Miss

This morning was a special work-related event. I therefore had the opportunity to sleep a little later than usual because it was closer to home than my office. Those who know me well know I enjoy times like these (i.e., I'm not a morning person). I drive out of my complex, and stop before hitting the main road. I thought the road was clear, but after I came out, a van going in the opposite direction passed me within a few feet. Had a hesitated a split second longer or had he been driving a little faster, I'd have been a goner...or hospitalized at the least. And it would have been my fault. It seems the reason I didn't see the van was because a pedestrian blocked the view, but I clearly didn't think they obscured enough of a view for me to miss an on-coming vehicle. Rewind to about an hour and a half before this. I woke up (as I do all mornings), but there was one difference. While I was doing my morning prayer, I had a weird feeling/sensation  that I was hit and the b...
Read more