Stay Calm
I’m not sure that I was ever considered a “calm” person when I was a bit younger. I would guess that in the last 10 years (my mid-forties) was when I started becoming calmer. I do believe that there is a direct connection to when I started carving time out of my morning to spend time in the Word of God. I started out simple reading a passage of scripture several times and highlighting the part that spoke into my heart. Not long after that I started journaling. My hand-writing was pretty bad as I could hardly read what I had written, so I started journaling in Microsoft Word each morning. I think it was somewhere around 2010 that I started publishing my journey online. The journey in the Word has had a tremendous influence on my ability to stay calm in most situations.
King Solomon, the author of Proverbs speaks about the truthful and honest people in contrast to the dishonest and wicked people. Check this out….
14 Wise words bring many benefits,
and hard work brings rewards.
15 Fools think their own way is right,
but the wise listen to others.
16 A fool is quick-tempered,
but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
18 Some people make cutting remarks,
but the words of the wise bring healing.
19 Truthful words stand the test of time,
but lies are soon exposed.
22 The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in those who tell the truth. (Proverbs 12:14-16,18-19, 22 NLT)
It is way too easy to think that I am “all that and a bag of chips”. I think that I often will think too highly of myself and it shows in my attitude and my behavior. If I think too highly of me, then I’m being foolish. I have so much to learn from others. I can learn from kids in elementary school as well as students that I’ve had the privilege of teaching. I believe learning is a life-long process. Old Dogs can actually learn new tricks!
Staying calm requires me to stay grounded in who I am and who I am not. I am not God. I am not God’s gift to multiple situations. I am simply a follower of Jesus, who seeks to bring honor to Him. The truth is foundational to my journey. I must be honest with myself first, in order to speak truth to others. One of the reasons for my calm spirit, is that I realize that without Jesus in my life, I am nothing. The stuff I do and touch while I’m here on earth will outlast me. I’m keeping my eye on eternal life – the life after this life. This is more like dress rehearsal – the big dance is later. Proper perspective usually ushers in peace to my soul and I can calm down quickly.
Pressing On!
Dwayne