Anxiety

This week has included quite a bit of discomfort for me due to some stomach pain that I don’t understand yet.  One source that is definitely possible though is stress.

I could say that it is stress just because it’s a stressful time of year.  Time of life.  It seems each evening has an activity for church or youth or with friends.  I’ve got lists going of things to do to get ready for our upcoming wedding.  Each day I check my email to see who has RSVPd today.  Each week connecting with different teens at GIFT practice, ISCF, Deeper or one-on-one.  Growing in relationship with Josh through pre-marital counseling and working through everyday things.

Looks like the start of a good list.  But no.  Those things might pile up to provide things to be anxious about.  But they in and of themselves are not what causes stress that produces stomach pain.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

I’ve not been doing overly well at this for a while.  And I can feel it.  He’s asking me to hand over to Him everything that fills my mind, that fills my thoughts.  He is bigger than the cost of our meal or whether a certain teen ‘got’ what we talked about at Deeper.  He can hold all of that.  I can’t.  It ties my stomach in knots.

On Sunday, our pastor pointed out that worry comes from three things: doubting God’s power (He can’t do it), His wisdom (He doesn’t know how to do it) or His love (He won’t do it).  A good reminder that “he cares for [me].”  He can carry it.

So here’s to giving my anxiety, my to-do list, my stomach pain, my emotions, my life into the hands of Him who loves me.