Calm Down
I have had this said to me on more than a few occasions. When my emotions get stirred up and I say too much, I’ve been asked in a kind way to calm down. I’ve also been asked in a harsh way. I used to be a bit “wound tight” and it didn’t take much to “set me off”. I’ve calmed down as I’ve aged and as I’ve grown in my faith. The things that used to get me excited, I don’t allow on the radar of my life. I’ve learned that much of what got me “fired up”, was really out of my control anyway. I learned that I couldn’t control the outcome of a basketball game for my favorite college team. I learned that my life wasn’t drastically changed by the outcome of a sporting contest. When I watch a sporting event on occasion, I remind myself that the outcome of the game doesn’t really affect my life.
The Psalmist writes a prayer for the pilgrims that reminds them to stay calm and trust the Lord. Check this out…
1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
or too awesome for me to grasp.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—
now and always.(Psalm 131:1-3 NLT)
The Lord knows the things I worry about because I’ve learned to tell Him about them. I honestly try to live a “worry free” life because I’ve given all my worries to the Lord. I also pray for my family every day. I want the Lord to protect them and provide for them. If I pick up my worries in any area of my life, it is about my children. When they were young, I felt that I was their protector and provider. I did my best to teach then and train them to trust the Lord and get to know Him. I now have to give them to the Lord and trust Him.
I also worry less because I’m cultivating a grateful heart. I have much to be thankful for. I absolutely love this time of thanksgiving. If I pause to be thankful, my worries mostly dissipate because trust has the upper hand. I want to be calm and trust Him every day as I get to know Him more.
Pressing On!
Dwayne