You have brains in your head. You have feet on your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
Dr. Seuss
There I was, seventeen years old and sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting to hear the results of my anxiety tests. I had gotten myself so worked up over things out of my control that I was now shaking uncontrollably (or so I thought). What could I possibly be that stressed out about?! At seventeen, I still had the protection and care of a wonderful home and family.
I knew better than to let the cares of this world overtake me like this, or did I? Had I been relying on my parent’s faith to cradle me through my own trials? Did I not realize God’s word was alive inside me and could teach me how to navigate new currents I found myself in?
I was immersed in an environment that fed on doctor’s appointments and medications. I saw anxiety as normal and decided the doctor was my only cure.
The environment you submerge yourself in will affect the way you think.
The doctor walked in and looked at my mother and father. Then he turned his attention to me. I watched him sit down on his stool and take a second to ponder how he would state what was on his mind. He looked at me and said, “You are seventeen years old and already seeing how tasks and responsibilities can overtake you without guidance. Now, I can give you a pill to help level out mental straining, or you can fix this problem – right here,” he pointed to my mind.
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I looked at my parents, who did not utter a word but stared back at me. In a flash, I saw discipline, hard work, order, and schedules that had been a part of my daily life since I could walk. I saw the grit that built my parents and the tenacity that held their feet to the fire- no matter the struggle. I never saw them take medicine to handle life’s valleys. I only saw a father who would stretch out under a shade tree and tip his hat over his face so he could catch twenty winks while waiting for clarity. I saw a mother who would turn on worship music while she wiped down the counters and finished supper. I never saw either of them look for a solution in the medicine cabinet.
I knew this was the kind of life I wanted for myself. Not a life crippled by a pill. Without thinking further, I stated with determination, “No, thank you. I will fix this problem myself.”
Please understand I am not against medicines or those that need them. Medications can be beneficial. I am so grateful for Tylenol and antibiotics. What a miracle it is to have a prescription that can stop an infection that could be otherwise fatal.
I find it interesting that pharmaceutical sales have soared in recent years, whereas generations before learned to deal with issues, problems, and concerns, but now, we cover them up and hide behind a label.
If you are available, God will make you capable!
God created man to accept responsibility. He must have intended for me to triumph, or He would never have commanded it of me.
Today, I walk free of any mental stress or anxiety. I learned a long time ago to tuck my head into the wind and walk on. I found the answers on how to manage, plan, and not live beyond my means tucked inside the Word of God.
The Bible says, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before this day life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life that you and your seed may live,” Deuteronomy 30:19.
God is sovereign, and He has the final say, but don’t be fooled; we have a part to play in His plan. The words of our mouth, our confession matters. The doctors’ report may be negative, but take hold of life-giving promises and watch cloudy circumstances change.
Anything less than perfect health robs you of days, weeks, months, and years. It steals daily enjoyment and disturbs tranquility. It is not part of the abundant life God promises us in His word. I have had the flu, and there is nothing tranquil about it. It threw my schedule off, messed up my house, and went through each of my kids.
There is an interesting phenomenon that happens when an airplane starts into a tailspin. Most pilots want to pull up to get out of the spin. This will only put you deeper into the spin and cause a crash. The pilot must push into it to escape the deadly spin. The same is true with us. We need to stop trying to escape the responsibilities that encompass our days. We must press into them.
The most powerful word for success is “NO.”
Storms come to all of us. But I refuse to set up housekeeping in the disturbance. I remember earlier this year, we faced one uproar after the other. My family was finishing lunch around the table, and I was washing dishes. I turned around with my dishcloth in my hand (per usual) and said, “Enough. Every single attack that has come against this home and our family stops now. And we take the authority that is rightfully ours by the blood of Jesus. We are taking NO MORE of it!” I then turned back around and finished washing the dishes. Chuck came and hugged me with an “Amen” to follow.
Nothing changed in the visible, but something had definitely changed in the spirit. Day by day, each storm that had come against our family began to find a solution, and peace was restored. I had learned where I choose to live – within the Shadow of the Almighty. It’s a peaceful place to reside.
“Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Proverbs 12:25
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