The Lord gently guided me to research the definition of anxiety when my grandson had tornadoes touch down in the area where he is a fireman/EMT. I prayed for my grandson, but it wasn’t long before the what-ifs played havoc with my mind. All night, I tossed and turned. When morning came, I had nothing to show for my hours of agitation except sleepy eyes.
Later, my research showed how focusing on what could happen can become self-inflicted torment.
Charles W. Mayo said, “Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects health. I have never known a man who died from overwork, but many have died from doubt.”
If I keep taking my prayers out of God’s hands by thinking about all the bad things that could happen, my health will be affected adversely. I do not want corrosive darkness enveloping me.
Ben Franklin spoke about this when he said, “Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”
Sunlight to my soul, that is what I want. But how?
First, we can continue to read our Bibles when we awake. This anchors our day. Second, we can praise God throughout the day. Enjoying the presence of God is a blessing. Third, we can meditate on God’s Word. Our words, actions, and reactions will show the results as we interact with others.
Finally, we can read God’s Word before going to bed. This anchors our night and helps us relax in peaceful sleep.
All of the above steps will help us develop an active dependence on our Creator.
My hesitation to trust God with my grandson’s safety cost me a night’s rest, but God was faithful to protect him.Through this experience, I learned to watch for the nudges from the One who guards my heart and mind.
Think of ways God has led you to peace rather than torment.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Engin_Akyurt.)
Ethel Lytton is a member of Word Weavers and is the administrator of the Rutledge Writers online group. She has been published in the East Metro Atlanta Christian Writers Anthology and Pens in the Piedmont and was also the recipient of the EMACW Elizabeth Sherrill Scholarship Award. Some of Ethel’s triggers to praise are her three children, their spouses, and her ten grandchildren. Quilting, sewing, and crocheting are some of her hobbies. She is a widow living in Rutledge, GA.