It never fails - this time of year my husband and I both tend to fight stress.
To be honest, I am starting to (finally) view this as Satan's way of trying to steal our joy. The joy of celebrating the best time of year - the time when we were given the ultimate gift of a redeemer that would pay once for all time the penalty of sin.
My husband is a carpenter by trade. Christmas time tends to put a halt on building and renovations - I mean, common, who doesn't want to have sheet rock dust all through their home when they're trying to decorate?! Totally understandable. Regardless of knowing why things get sketchy with work this time of year, we still stress out a little wondering what he'll have for work if any.
With that said, a couple of winters ago, things were incredibly stressful. I was having panic attacks (was this my lack of faith in my God who is able? I believe it was. I was not in control, nor was my husband and that looked scary!) and remember thinking "there's nothing I can do about this situation, I'd better pray about it and look for comfort from God's word." So I did.
While going through many pages, I decided to just read verses I had underlined from other times I read it and found it "extra meaningful". Man, those words, those verses, were like espresso coffee mixed with soothing calmness that just covered my mind, my heart and my soul. (in other words, they were very exhilarating as I remembered what my Lord had said and promised, and He calmed my racing heart - all at the same time. Very good, by the way. lol)
It was then I started a peace journal. I needed quick access to my lifeline. Those verses. It's not like this just happened once and it was done with. No. I had to continually run to Him throughout that season of our lives and be reminded again from His word and to pour out my concerns to Him through prayer. This is what I later understood to be "giving it over to God."
Every time the stress of something would attack, I would pray and ask God to help me not to worry, to remember what he promised and to leave my concern with Him. Then (a crucial part) I would make myself think about something else. Something good. Count my blessings. And for goodness sake, I couldn't sit idol.
God is so good. We made it through that season. We survived. Barely, at times, it seemed, but here we are, looking to see what God has in store for us this winter. It's scary, yet exciting, sometimes humbling. And that's ok.
Do you need peace? Let me share some verses with you that helped us. (see link Peace Journal below) Or maybe the journey of finding your own is better. Regardless, read them slowly and listen as you speak them out loud. Put your name in there if you can. Remember what God promised. I just printed a copy off myself this morning for my husband and even as I was preparing that for him, I found my soul refreshed and calmed.
It may not be a perfect life, but really, we're just passing through - it was never meant to be all roses.
