A Storm in My Toolkit

Friends, I have a confession to make.  I can be a little bit of a worrier.  If my husband read that he would laugh and say, “a little bit?” And he would be right.  I’m a big-time worrier.  In fact, I’ve often said that sometimes God has to use a brick to my head to make me realize I’m stressing myself out.  This week though, instead of a brick he used a storm. 

I was awakened at 4 a.m. by a wind that sounded like it was ripping the roof off our house.  As usual, I checked the weather on my phone and sure enough, we were under a severe thunderstorm warning.  Now, in some places this wouldn’t be a big deal.  But where I live, springtime storms can drop a tornado quicker than you can say “we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

So I began to worry. 

Let me tell you, my thunderstorm worry routine is intense.  I flip back and forth between 2-3 different news channels and listen for words that might tell me a tornado is possible – rotation, supercell, hook echo.  Usually, while I’m flipping through the channels listening for all the scary words, my mind starts racing and I kick into hypervigilant, overprepared, and stressed out mode – also known as, anxiety. 

But this morning was different. 

This morning, when I started my anxious routine a memory popped into my mind like a flash of lightening.  It was one sentence from a pastor who had posted a Facebook video when the COVID-19 pandemic came to the U.S.  The pastor was Steven Furtick, and the tiny piece of his message that stuck out to me is this: “the news should be checked, not watched.” 

This small one-line reminder that our actions lead to our thoughts, which lead to our feelings (in this case, anxiety), was the brick that I needed to shake me out of my spiral into panic and bring me back to reality.

Right then I decided that instead of “watching” the weather on TV – flipping channels, listening for those scary words, and becoming more anxious by the second – I was just going to check on the weather.  So I watched for a few minutes to make sure we were safe – God gave us meteorologists for a reason, after all! – and once I saw that we were okay, I whispered a prayer, turned off the lights, and felt at peace. 

What a welcomed change.   

It’s no surprise to me that just when I needed it, I remembered this one line from a pastor I’ve only seen on TV a handful of times.  It’s no surprise because I know it was one of those moments where God gave me the tools I needed to get out of a hard place, even if I didn’t know I needed it at the time. 

He can give you the tools you need as well.

Sweet friend, not that you need my permission, but let me give you permission right now to stop worrying.  Whatever that worry is – health, family, finances, weather.  Because He ALWAYS gives us the tools we need to get out of our hard places, even if we’re there because we’ve worked ourselves into a frenzy of anxiety. 

So now when you and I start to worry, let’s remember to pull out those tools, and maybe this time He won’t have to use a brick (or a thunderstorm) as a reminder.

Biblical Application

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Practical Application For Your Life Right Now

Again, God has equipped you with all the tools you need to stop worrying.  You really do have it in you!  And here are five practical tips that you can take with you today. 

Tips for overcoming worry:

1. Name your fear and take away its power.  When we refuse to speak about something, we are giving it power over us.  So just speak your fear aloud to God.  Say its’ name to a friend.  Even just writing it down in a journal can help. 
2. Practice mindfulness. Meditation and yoga are the first things we usually think of when hear the word mindfulness.  And both can be very helpful.  But also just doing something to bring you back into the present moment can get you out of your thoughts and stop a negative spiral. For example, take three deep breaths counting to six on the inhale, hold for a count of seven, and count to eight on the exhale. 
3. Get enough sleep. Are you getting enough sleep at night for you to feel rested? For some people that means 9 hours and for others it might be 6.  The important thing is for you to feel rested the next day.  If not, what can you change about your routine to help you fall asleep sooner or sleep better? 
4. Move your body.  Studies have shown that just a brief, 10-minute walk is enough to reenergize a person who’s feeling a midday lag.  Getting physical can also help boost feel-good hormones that can pull you out of a negative thought-pattern. If you can’t go out, try walking in your home for a few minutes periodically throughout your day. 
5. Reap the benefits of gratitude. Have you ever written a gratefulness journal?  Or maybe sat quietly for a few minutes and thought about three things you are grateful right now? Just thinking about your blessings –  even the small ones like someone holding the door open for you at the grocery store – can change your perspective in the moment, and really make a difference in the positive trajectory of your thoughts.

Wishing you peace,
Amy