Tag: Stress

Worry Won’t Fix It

~ Christine Goodnough ~ 4 Comments

The Ragtag Daily Prompt today is RHETORIC

And the Sunday Whirl offers us following words:

Here’s my response, a tale of opposite reactions to current events:

Worry Won’t Fix it

“If you’d quit being a turtle and stick your neck out of the shell you’ve escaped into, you’d realize just how flash-point things have become. We can’t stay hidden away when the world explodes! But no. You want to play ostrich, bury your head in the sand and not see it coming,” Marc grumbled as he paced back and forth, stopping now and then to fiddle with the news magazines spread across the table.

“Listen, brother. I’ve got ten years on you and I’ve learned to ignore the drama drummers and all the panic rhetoric,” his brother Colton replied. “Noise-makers may spin their claims that we’re on the threshold of global disaster, but the world has been going to wrack and to ruin ever since Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden. This old world has seen droughts, floods, volcanoes, economic crashes and countless wars, but we’re still here.”

Colton took another sip of his iced tea. “But our worrying won’t fix it. All you’re doing is wearing a hole in our carpet. Why don’t you just take a deep breath, relax, and get on with the general design of life – before your blood pressure takes you out.”

Image by Gerd Altmann — Pixabay

Musing on Psalm 46

~ Christine Goodnough ~ 2 Comments

The Ragtag Daily Prompt this morning is TRUST. A comforting word. Is there any more secure feeling in life than having a friend or spouse we know we can trust?

Here’s my response to the prompt:

Storm + Psalm. Tobias
       Storm photo: Tobias Hämmer  —  Pixabay

Psalm 46: 1-5 — With notes by a modern reader:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
He’s our storm shelter when menacing storms of life want to bash us and whirl us dizzy. He’s the one Who stands beside us, supports us when we are weak, covers us with his hand so we don’t have to take the brunt of enemy bombardment.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
With our Father by our side, we can face whatever life throws at us.
Though the stock market crash, the latest plague spreads, wildfires rage, governments threaten each other with nuclear attacks, health issues and expenses come up, my neighbour’s furious with me, my teens are bullied at school — or rebel against the stupid rules of us “totally out of it” parents, or my so–called friend spreads a life-shattering rumor about me.
Yes, I will quake because I am human, but He is still there, standing by to help me navigate the raging sea.

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
So many things are blown way out of proportion by the media and scare-mongers on Facebook may all be saying we’ll never get through this coming disaster. But even if worst comes to worst and the solid rocks around me are shaking, I can still hold His hand and hear His voice over the storm.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
A river of peace I can stay beside, being refreshed, in a city of refuge where I can live a holy life in the presence of God in spite of the racket going on in the world outside.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
Precious promise! Even though we may wobble at times from the force of the blast and life may be far from perfect, the children of God can stand. Our Father will come to our rescue and hold us up, come what may.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelations 22:1-2

 

 

The Waiting Room

~ Christine Goodnough ~ 2 Comments

Typical hospital waiting room,
the air heavy with hope and fear.
Sighs in unison; murmuring voices
all speak a common language.

Eyes softened to not embarrass
anyone’s stream of tears;
ears tuned to hear a name called,
praying their own comes soon.

Kin anxious for the verdict,
improvement or decline,
life or death; in this commune
everyone’s related.

The Big Hurry

~ Christine Goodnough ~ Leave a comment

Braydon hit the snooze button twice, but the third time he reached for it, he actually took a long at the clock. “Oh no,” he exclaimed and jumped out of bed.

He rushed into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water, made a dive into and out of the shower, towelled his hair and ran his razor over his stubble. Then he hastily dressed and hurried into the kitchen.

He poured himself a big glass of milk and gulped down a vitamin pill. Then he found his briefcase, popped it open, and threw in a couple of breakfast bars. His wife, Janelle, knowing the routine all too well, stood at the open front door with his jacket in her hand.

Braydon gave her a quick kiss as he grabbed his jacket. Then he stopped to give her a proper hug. He shrugged apologetically. “I’m sure looking forward to retirement, when I won’t have to rush like this every morning.” Janelle smiled and shut the door behind him.

He dashed to the bus stop just as the bus was opening its doors. As he climbed the few steps he felt around in his jacket pocket, dug out his bus pass, and flashed it at the driver. Thankfully there was an empty seat nearby; he flopped down and took a deep breath. The bus pulled away.

Suddenly he sat up in his seat and looked around at his fellow passengers, “Hey, Where’s this bus going?”

In the mad rush of life, promising ourselves peace and relaxation sometime in the future, we may not notice where we’re heading at this moment. There are many roads offered to the traveler today; we need to be sure we’re on the one that will take us where we want to end up.

“Too many people
in too much of a hurry
rushing in too many
directions leading to nowhere
end up with nothing.”

Story retold from a 1976 devotional article