Cure for Stress

"Sing unto the LORD a new song! Sing unto the Lord all the earth! For He is great, and greatly to be praised."

Do you ever feel the urge to be joyful, the longing to throw away all your cares, and just be like a heroine in a story who hopes against all hope, to believe that everything will turn out all right, to sing in the rain, to smile through tears....

...but life slaps you in the face? The culture around you tells you to be realistic. The people around you might think you are strange if you lived like that. You need to be a mature adult, who sees things like they are. The idea of throwing away all your worries, hoping against hope, and not worrying seems..... wrong, somehow. Disloyal. Immature. If you don't worry, who will take care of things? How will things be accomplished? What if you miss something? Don't try to be a Pollyanna, they say. Things don't work like that in real life.

But guess what? The Bible tells me to cast all my cares on the One who cares for me, and He really will take care of things. The Bible tells me to be anxious for nothing. The Bible tells me to let my requests be made known unto God, and His peace will keep my heart and mind. The Bible tells me that God is Sovereign, and that He loves me, and that all things work together for good for those who love Him. The Bible tells me to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS....and it tells me that again. The Bible tells me that perfect love casts out fear.

Haven't you always wanted to be that kind of "fairy-tale" girl, who is carefree, and lovely in her trust? Doesn't your heart yearn to let go, and be a child again? Aren't you tired of being what the world calls an "adult," sagging beneath the stress of life?

I am. I'm sick and tired of it. I'm a Christian. That means that the Holy Spirit lives in my heart, and He has an amazing joy. An infectious joy. A contagious, strong, bubbling joy. I can feel it. I sense it; it lights up my heart the way a mother's smile lights a whole room. But it's His, not mine. I'm afraid of that joy. I'm afraid to let go of my stress and worry. The Spirit is whispering to me - has been, for a long time - "It's okay. Let go - I'll take care of things! Laugh with me! Smile! The Lord is King!" And I keep shaking my head, burying my face in the other side of my heart, and saying, "N-n-no. I can't. What would folks think? It's childish. I'll look naive."

But He is oh so patient. He hasn't given up. He smiles the wider, pleading gently; "Please. Believe me. I can't stand to see you so mournful and tired and tight...not when so much belongs to you. Don't you know the Son is your shepherd? Don't you know how strong the Father is?"

I tiptoe closer....peeking at this joy He offers. It is so quiet....so refreshing and peaceful, like a grassy plot alongside a bubbling creek on a spring day. But no - it must be too good to be true. I retreat into the corner, trembling, crying, wishing it was true, hating life for being so real.

This has been the story of my life for years.

I hate the bondage. I hate that I know what my problem is, and yet haven't been able to give it up. But God is working. He hasn't saved me to leave me just the way He found me. That's one of my favorite things about being His child; He saved me to change me. He promises that He'll finish what He starts. He tells me that I'm a conquerer through Him.

So you know what? I had a bit of victory today. There was a moment when I wanted to cling to worry, and I let it go. It was only one battle, one moment, one conquered temptation.

But it was a start. I smiled....and it felt wonderful. I praised the Lord for being strong, for being smarter than me. For being in control. And I told Him I wasn't worried about how things would turn out, because I trusted Him.

I felt like a child.

And it was wonderful.