Page 21 - Grace.Spring.2021

of feeling excitement about a new aborting the mission is the safest many places there are even The good news is that all of
adventure, we start to feel course of action. Fear will most screens at checkouts and gas these things can be overcome.
trepidation. Uncertainty sort of assuredly derail us until we learn pumps spewing more information We absolutely cannot leave our
floats in the ether, isn’t really to overcome it with faith. at us. It’s becoming increasingly dreams, goals and visions to
personal and often can’t be difficult to escape it all. chance and hope that things
defined. I personally think this is Distractions = busyness. Sure, we will just work out. It will take
the first passenger we pick up are busy, busy, busy all the time, confidence, faith, community,
when we have veered off course Isolation but how many distractions are we focus and managing stress in a
on our thought-train. If we stay allowing to keep us from what is healthy way to see them
on this track, we end up picking Isolation is one of the best tricks really important? Are they getting realized. Will there be
up other passengers we don’t of the enemy to get the thought- in the way of our dreams? challenges, obstacles and
really want on board. train off course. We need each unforeseen life events? YES!
other. We need a support Stress But we can choose to be
system, people who believe in us proactive instead of reactive
and will cheer us on. We Stress is the sum of all the parts. when those things happen. We
Doubt absolutely must have positive When we live in uncertainty, can shift our thinking from
voices keeping us on the right doubt, fear, isolation and with being a victim to being a
The next passenger to climb path. When we are stripped of numerous distractions, we can victor. We can move beyond
aboard our wayward train is church services, regular easily end up in a state of surviving and into a place of
Doubt. Doubt is absolutely socialization with friends and cut overwhelm. Stress causes our thriving. We get to be the
personal. We start to doubt if we off from extended family, then fight, flight or freeze response to gatekeepers of our thoughts
really heard from God. We start we can end up with too much be tripped in our brains. Ideally, and choose what we let in. If
to doubt ourselves and our time alone where thoughts can we would “fight” stress by doing an unruly passenger sneaks
abilities. We may even doubt if easily become wayward. things that lower it such as aboard the thought-train, kick
anyone else believes in us, or if Solitude, for a time, is healthy exercise, engaging in an enjoyable ‘em off and replace him with a
they will cheer us on. We may and should be a regular part of hobby, spending quality time with passenger who will help, and
doubt not just what we can do, life, but isolation is unhealthy a friend, or pursuing a goal. The not hinder, in reaching those
but who we are at our very core. and should be avoided. As the “flight” response can lead to goals!
We doubt that we can make a old adage goes, “an idle mind is unhealthy escapism in the form of
difference. Doubt is very, very the devil’s playground.” addictions with things like drugs,
destructive when left unchecked. alcohol or food. Or, like me, you
can have the “deer in the Where have you gone off
headlights” response of freezing. course or gotten stuck? What
Distractions Stress isn’t dealt with. It gets has held you back from
Fear stuffed as you press on, stuck in reaching your goals or living
Distractions are inevitable in “survival mode”. This may not out your purpose? What would
All of that doubt comes skipping these times we are living in and seem so bad at first, but science your life look like if you made
along, holding hands with Fear in our culture. Information flies has proven that long-term some course corrections and
when they enter our thought-train. at us at warp speed and through unresolved stress leads to sickness kicked some unwelcomed
Fear is probably the biggest more avenues than ever before. and disease. Living in survival passengers off of your thought-
vision-killer of all. Fear feeds off We have hundreds of TV mode keeps us from thriving. It train? There is no time like the
of doubt and tells us all the things channels, movies and music keeps us stuck in the “have to’s” present, a season of new life
that could possibly go wrong streaming on demand, social instead of having a balance of and rebirth, to pull out those
BECAUSE of whatever it is we are media, video games, news we “want to’s”. In the overwhelm, dreams, dust them off and
doubting. It holds us back from stayed glued to because things there can be depression and a begin to water them. In time
taking risks. It keeps us from change from day-to-day…all in lack of joy. Being in this state there will be precious fruit for
getting started or taking the next addition to the regular demands makes it exceedingly difficult to your labor and diligence! You
step. It whispers to us that failure of life: work, health, household find the energy needed to pursue CAN thrive and so can I!
is sure, and imminent, and that chores, kids, marriage, etc. In dreams.
Let’s do this!
Free2fight