Anxiety

My thought today is … that I haven’t actually prepared a thought. And I’ve learned that that’s okay.

But really—have you ever set a goal for yourself (in this case, post a spiritual thought every Thursday) and kind of freaked out when you realized you couldn’t do it? Or is that just me and my anxiety?

Because I don’t know about others, but my anxiety is like a constant companion just looking for things to latch on to.

“Taking a family trip to Ukraine? Let me just point out everything that could possibly go wrong in those three weeks.”

“Your house is a mess? Yes, clean it RIGHT NOW and get mad at the kids for making more messes.”

“Want to keep up on social media? Great—don’t miss a single day because, well … “

And then, if you’re lucky, the logical part of your brain will stop you and say, “Because … why?”

WHY must I post a spiritual thought every week, and what would happen if I didn’t?

WHY must I clean my house right this instant, and what would happen if I didn’t?

And then you calm down because you realize that your feelings are betraying you. Because anxiety gives small things a big shadow.

So in your darkest times, my deepest wish for you is that you will have a similar “aha” moment in your brain—if only for a second—that will shed light on your situation.

Because without those terrifying shadows, you’ll be able to see small things for what they really are.