High Anxiety

^[27]Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

                                              -- Matthew 6:27

 I woke up early this morning with high anxiety.  So let me walk through what I thought about this uncomfortable, sleep-depriving condition.

First, the reasons for it are not that important because I frequently come across people who tell me about being anxious when there is not even a reason for it that they can imagine.  So, I concluded from that knowledge that no matter what the reason, people feel anxious and it's okay.

My second thought was how ungrounded being anxious makes me feel.  In fact, perhaps it is the other way around: we feel anxious because we are ungrounded.  So, I did some grounding exercises.  These included:

• Conscious Breathing
• Changing my location
• Taking a short walk
• Taking a hot bath
• Getting busy with some mundane chore
• Thinking about stories of Jesus during all of the above

The story that stuck was the same one as I wrote about in yesterday's blog.  Jesus walking over the unsettled stormy water.  I don't know how to swim so great, so the idea of being in water over my head kind of freaks me out in a lot of situations.  Yet, here is Jesus offering a hand and lifting Peter, who had floundered with his water walking, out of the drink to get back in the safe boat.  Anxiety is life's water over your head.  It is letting go of Jesus' hand and letting yourself flounder in worry.  Get back in your safe boat with The Master and all will be well.

Prayer:

Take my hand, Lord and lead me through this day and safely into the night.  Work your miracles in me throughout my life.  Amen.