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“Do not worry about tomorrow.

It has enough troubles of it’s own”

Matthew 6:34

Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything to change it. Some people call the issue “just plain nerves” I speak of stress.

Several years ago, when I took classes from a community college, I heard stress was an element found in all activities. There is good stress–eustress and bad stress–distress. Eustress is the oohs and aahs we experience when we watch fireworks celebrations. Distress is the feeling we have when we hear bad news.

Stress is defined as–an organism’s response to external stimuli. People respond to events or issues affecting their lives in different ways. Three people hear news that could affect their lives. Person A acknowledges it and continues with what he or she is doing. Person B learns of the same issue and needs to think on it before going on. But person C might not understand the news and becomes overly concerned with the future outcome.

Stress takes its toll on those who can’t deal with it. Some people deal with it by not dealing with it. They internalize it. They don’t realize this process is happening. This can wreak havoc on the body.

Psychologists maintained in the last century that it was good for people to talk about those issues bothering us. Some of these behaviorists compare the process to peeling an onion.

Events in our lives can’t always be explained as who is responsible for it; they sometimes just happen.

In early June2009, my son received a phone call from his grandmother, my mother. My step-father had died the day before. We had not been close for a number of years. For reasons of personal protection, we didn’t attend his funeral, which was the following day. On the day of that funeral, shortly after it would have been over, my husband took a phone call for me. My dad had died in his sleep early that morning. There had been a wrinkle in our relationship with my dad that made seeing him impossible. My husband started fretting over something that happened six years ago. I was trying to stay calm due to my fibromyalgia. Anytime I get upset, I run the risk of having a hurting stomach and its aftermath.

I had to make phone calls. I couldn’t think on what had happened in the early part of the decade.That is in the past and I prefer to keep it there. Friday night was a time for insomnia. I might have gotten an hour and a half sleep. My husband didn't really relax until after 11:00 Saturday morning. I am not sure how much rest our son managed to get.

I spent time, that Friday night and Saturday, emailing different people I know online. I received some very nice responses. Our son and I went to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch on Saturday. About three hours later I had rumbles in the stomach. Not all of this is related to foods we ate. I am aware of the areas of the human body vulnerable to stress.

God protected me from myself. At one time, I would have allowed those thoughts from the events of 2002-2003 to enter my mind. The emotions that come with them would have made me very sick. But, people were praying for me and my family. I still felt protected three weeks later.

Each person has to learn how to deal with the stress life brings them. Too many people haven’t found how to do this. As we mature we have to deal with many health issues. We need to learn to face life’s issues and overcome the inherent stress involved. A woman at church has Lupus. When her husband had Cancer and saw a doctor, a specialist. she knew the need to stay calm and not worry needlessly. Her daughters kept asking her if she’s worried. Without the LORD helping her, she couldn't have done this.

Living in a family can keep all of us at high stress levels. Interpersonal issues have to be dealt with sometimes by overlooking the offensive action. There are times we have to do more than look the other way. We have to turn the problem over to God.

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

Renew a Right Spirit