Tag: mental health

He Holds Tomorrow

I struggle a lot with anxiety.

Whether it be navigating a social situation, obsessing over something that I haven’t done perfectly, or feeling completely overwhelmed by an upcoming task –  my tendency is to rely on myself instead of looking to God for help.

But I know that this is not the right way to respond to life’s difficulties.

There is a song by Jason Gray called “Sparrows.” I like it because it helps me to put things back into perspective when my world feels like it’s spinning out of control.

Here are some of the lyrics:

You can’t add a single day by worrying
You’ll worry your life away
Oh don’t worry your life away
You can’t change a single thing by freaking out
It’s just gonna close you in
Oh don’t let the trouble win

You may feel alone
But you’re not on your own

If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow

So how would it help me if I truly believed that my God holds tomorrow? If I trusted that He cares for even the sparrows – and that His love for me (and you) is so much greater? I should think that it would have a major, positive impact!

But it’s a little more difficult to flesh this out in daily life.

When you can’t pay your bills…
When a loved one is sick and there is nothing you can do…
When you fear for your safety…
When a relationship is falling apart…

It could be any number of things. But I think the important thing is that we try to bring each worry to God. He is the One who sees us and loves us and desires to take care of us.

So what is it that you’re worrying about? Why not give it over to the Father – situation by situation – and let Him handle today’s worries…along with the worries of tomorrow.

 

Photo by Przemyslaw Reinfus on Unsplash

Recent Happenings

So I haven’t written in a while. Part of the reason for this is that I was having problems with WordPress…and part of the reason is because I wasn’t feeling inspired to write. But WordPress is working now, and whether or not I feel inspired, I’m going to write. 🙂

I was blessed to be able to celebrate my birthday on Tuesday. We got together with both of our families over the prior weekend. Also my hubby took off three whole days from work so that we could spend some time together and relax. We went to Barnes and Noble bookstore, Cracker Barrel, and the Cape May Zoo – and we enjoyed ourselves. The weather was beautiful, the company was amazing, and it was nice to do something a little out of the ordinary.

It was also a blessing to receive so much birthday love. Many people reached out to me to wish me a special day – and that meant a lot. Sometimes I feel alone and unloved…but I need to remind myself that this simply is not true, and that I have friends and family who care deeply about me. So for the birthday love and the all-the-time love, I am grateful.

Another milestone is that I finished my Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) about a month ago. It helped some with the depression, but it also helped my anxiety and OCD through the mindfulness training that I received. Now that my treatments are over, I need to keep up with practicing and with applying what I’ve learned.

So although my mood has been up and down over the past several weeks and I haven’t felt like writing, God has been with me, and has helped me to take one baby step after another. He is good all of the time – and for this I am thankful. ❤

 

Photo Credit: Crystal Knauss (picture was taken at the Cape May Zoo)

Thankful Thursday (episode 9)

It’s been quite some time since I’ve shared a “Thankful Thursday.” Good things have been happening, and I’ve kept track of a number of them…but for a while I wasn’t putting as much importance on being grateful as I should.

But I’ve been reminded of its importance, and now I’d like to share my gratitude list. The list spans May, June, July, and some of August. These are things for which I give thanks to God:

  • We made some progress cleaning up our backyard
  • Even though I was feeling low and slept much of the day, we ended the day well by going to Barnes and Noble and then having a steak dinner
  • We are blessed to live in a rather small neighborhood
  • I made it through to the end of the SMARTER project as a Scorer at Measurement Inc.
  • God’s forgiveness
  • I saw a beautiful cardinal at our bird feeder
  • I didn’t have to cook or clean up!
  • We were able to get my car’s oil changed for a decent price
  • I didn’t go back to bed after getting up in the morning
  • Who God is – His kindness, protection, wisdom, grace…
  • Free coffee from the Wawa that opened near us
  • God kept us safe in a bad thunderstorm
  • I was notified that I was approved to have some of my student loans forgiven
  • Mom’s knee surgery went well
  • I had just enough money to pay for the groceries we needed
  • How my cat Misty reaches out for my hand with her paw when I pet her
  • We were able to help good friends move into their new apartment
  • God kept me safe while traveling to doctors’ appointments
  • My Dad had his workers put hardwood floor in our house!
  • My first TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) treatment went well
  • I was able to take care of our friends’ baby and I enjoyed it 😀
  • I’ve made it to my twentieth TMS treatment and I’m feeling somewhat better!

Thanks so much for reading, and feel free to share something that you’re grateful for in the comments! ❤

 

Photo by Wendy Rueter on Unsplash