i am one to often say 'i am so stressed.' i'm not sure when it started but the more i think about it, its probably due to a lot of what i saw when i was growing up and is highly attributed to what i see in how the world deals with things in general. in matthew, jesus tells us not to worry about anything and how worrying doesn't change things anyway nor does it fix or buy us more time. i really really struggle with worry. most of the time its because i can't control the situation at hand or something is not going to how i had planned. we are going through a 'stressed' series right now at conerstone and it really hits home to what im going through and have been for the majority of my life. lynn talks about how we stress when our life doesn't match up perfectly with the plans we set for ourselves. lynn has also been talking about how we try to feed our problems and stressful situations in life with other things and as long as they are available, everything is a-ok. some of these things include money, accomplishments, friends/relationships. but all of these things are so temporary and without jesus, you end up falling at some point anyway. what i have learned so far is that when we are stressed we need to pull over the car, get out, and pray. it is so simple yet so profound. even deeper, we need to acknowledge that its not our will, but his. if we follow this and truly trust he will guide us through, what do we have to worry about anyway? my dad posted some pictures today that consisted of the universe and how planet earth and where we reside is so small in comparison with the other planets, the sun, the galaxy. we are so busy chasing our dreams and trying to get what we want out of this existance when in reality, what we want is so insignifigant anyway. i truly believe god has a plan for every person in this world but what i find interesting is that the majority of us in this world (including me) is so busy chasing our own dreams and desires and when things are not going our way (typically with money, relationships, careers, fame), the stress levels become so high that there is absolutely no hope but deep depression. what we all need to come to realize is that we are here on this planet for a purpose. yah its not going to be easy and he told us this, but its a salvage operation and its not about us but him. there is no need to stress for he will take care of us and whats comforting to know is that this world is so temporary, a dot in the grand scheme of existance and we will be home soon.....in the mean L.I.V.E, L.O.V.E, and spread the good news. That is all we should be concerning ourselves with anyway! :)
