It’s always good to be a learner, especially if it involves some insight about yourself. What I’ve discovered about me is that I’m quite an anxious person. I don’t think I used to be, but life and experience has changed me. But I certainly get anxious now. Especially when heading into potential conflict with known difficult relationships.

I worry so much before meeting, always thinking ‘worse case scenario’- that not only is my joy being stolen while no one is around, when the event happens, I’m not really enjoying it.

I don’t want to be like this, and apparently that’s a key indicator for success!

Wanting to change! Great, I’m now on the right track.

But I need help. My friends are always good for providing me with the halftime coach pep talk/rant when a team’s losing 50-0. That helps me emotionally, but I need spiritual help too – prayer and lots of it! Coincidentally, our church had prayer for anxiety and so I had some beautiful women of God praying over me this week.

I do feel lighter and stronger now. I’ll let you know how I get on!

But in the meantime I will try to look outward and help others who are also suffering – whether it be anxiety or something else. If what I am going through can help someone else, then my suffering is now redeemed, and it becomes hope and help for others.

What can I do to help others?

-Listen

-Don’t be judgy

-Give some words of affirmation

-Remember them and follow up

-Pray

-Give practical support or gift if appropriate

This can go along way to supporting those who are hurting, maybe it will instill confidence in themselves to be able to get back up and try again.

There’s a meme going around that says,“Sometimes you are having a bad day, forget it. Go back home and sleep. Try again tomorrow.” I like that.

Question: Is there someone in your world that you can give some courage to?

“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6

Blessings Yvette Wynne

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

There’s a saying, “Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but won’t get you anywhere.”

Sometimes we can be so burdened with anxious thoughts it can steal our day of joy. Not only this, but often, the ‘worst case scenario’ we think of, just never happens!

The worry’s that are spinning around in my head are like a wild horse on the loose! So, these last couple of weeks I’ve been proactive about taming those little brumbies. When I find myself thinking thoughts that are negative and destructive, I literally put a reign on them.

I grab that lasso and bring back my thoughts to what is good, right, and noble. Sometimes I reign them in by planning for a holiday, but other times it’s thinking about other people, and how they are going:

• Is Mary’s health ok? How is she going after her Chemo treatment?
• Did Freddy get that job after his interview?
• How’s Martha going on her trip to Fiji?
• Is little Annie still unsettled after starting in our centre this week? What can I do to help?

Also if I’m in the car for any length of time I like to put on podcasts or an audio book to train my mind to focus, rather than let my thoughts run through my head stomping on all my joy.

There is a scripture verse that says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength” this is so true, have you ever been in the presence of a joyful person? How did that make you feel?

I always feel uplifted when in a joyful person’s presence, let’s go out and try to share some joy for our friends today.

Question: What do you think about when your mind is left to its own devices?

Be blessed. Yvette Wynne