My observation is that there is ALWAYS something in family life that I can choose to stress about! I mean aren’t there multiple things going on—daily? There are the routine things like feeding the people in your house, making sure those same people have clean clothes, and making sure the yard is cut and the trash is taken out. There are bills to pay, appointments to make, ballgames, recitals and parent/teacher meetings to attend. Then there are those little unexpected things that surface like the break-up your teenager is dealing with or the friend who didn’t treat them right. There may be an unplanned sickness or other health issue. I’ve also found that after your kids grow up and leave—(you know, the empty-nest time—when things are supposed to slow down—well, if you aren’t there yet, don’t assume too much)—-well then, the family grows and multiples and then there are even more of all of the above to deal with! In all of this, however, I’ve found an answer! It really seems to simple to be true, but it is an “out” to the worry and stress of day-to-day family life. And it’s not coffee! (Although that’s nice after a long day.) It’s not even shopping, a new hobby or a weekend away! It is simply found in a constant all-day-long connection with God in prayer! God really is as close as the mention of His name! It is absolutely amazing how God’s grace will step in and enable me to handle the conflict, overcome the anxiety and deal with the moments that could so easily throw me into a stress attack! I’ve found grace to be so much more than I once understood it to be. I’ve found grace to be God’s enabling power in my life on a minute-by-minute basis. As 1 Peter 5:7 instructs, I can give all my worries and cares to God! Why? Because He cares about it and He cares about me! From the seemingly insignificant to the huge, God is all about it! Why? Because He is all about ME—and YOU! Stop long enough to pray. Stop long enough to let God step in and overshadow you with a big ole’ dose of His AMAZING GRACE! I mean, if you want to stress out and worry your days away, you can. It’s totally optional! I think some folks like to keep that stress thing going all the time. I guess it makes them feel like they’re doing a lot or accomplishing a lot if they look busy and frazzled. For me—I think I’ll choose to stay connected to God. I am busy! And on occasion, I’m frazzled too. But hang around for a bit—I’m about to give it to God and He’s about to grace me right into some peace and rest for my crazy day! He will do the same for you!
- Eric & Gena Boggs