When I was a little girl, I believed in fairy tales... that fantasy of what life would be. White dress, a prince charming who would carry me away to a castle on a hill. I would lie in bed at night and close my eyes and had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close I could taste them, but one day the fairy tale disappeared. It's hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely because we all have that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day we will open our eyes and it will come true. Then one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. This life, with all of its complexities, may be the fairy tale after all, because the journey is the best part. It's Happily Ever After...right now.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Uptight, clean out of sight

Stress-- it should be a four letter word.  Stress has become a staple for most of us.  We are so accustomed to our stress-filled lives, that without it we feel uncomfortable, if not verklempt.  This era of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram provides constant suggestions of how perfect life should be; conversely reminding us of how imperfect our lives currently are.  (Insert stress here...)

Every day social media reminds me how to simplify; how to be more successful; how to eat healthier; how to get my bathtub cleaner than ever before; how to pay off my mortgage early; how to correctly apply lipstick; and how to plan the perfect birthday party for a 3 year old.  You know what I never see on the Facebook/Twitter/Instagram merry-go-round?  How to live peacefully in an uptight world.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.  Ouch.  I think I've blown this one.  Every day.  For the past 45 years or so....  I'm completely guilty of stressing so much about the details of life, that I overlook the One who knows me deeply, specifically, and intimately.  It comes as no surprise to Him that I lose sleep over finances, yard work, and which plumber to call.  Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.   

Scripture shares that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In Exodus, God said to Moses, I am who I am.  Not in the obstinate Popeye kind of way... but instead to show his unchanging nature.  God is Yahweh, the great I Am.  He is consistent, and eternal.  My stress-filled thoughts do not surprise God.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.   

Pretty sobering to think that the God who created galaxies, lightening bugs, Pikes Peak, and tofu-- knows me.  He doesn't judge me by Facebook photos, salary, or lipstick.  Wrap your head around that for a minute....  Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.  He knows me, and He loves me anyway!  That, is the antithesis of stress.

 Seeking Shalom, ~Shugie


And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard 
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:7
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJune 9, 2015 at 6:46 PM

    Good reminder that God is bigger than our stress.

    ReplyDelete

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