Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Anxiety, fear and worry are destructive feelings that have a way of absorbing your thoughts and wasting time. Calm, assurance, solace are antonyms of the previous trio of time snatchers. These negative feelings also are harmful to the body often triggering chronic illness or disease. As a young mother, I was a worry queen. Little did I realize that the chances of my worst fears happening were minuscule. Thankfully and gratefully feelings of worry have been put in their place with a fair amount of calm. Ever so often that knee jerk reaction of fear, worry, or anxiety acts up, and it shows me there is still work to do to keep the peace.

With the impact of Ebola and Enterovirus it is easy to go to a place of fear and worry. These are troubling and puzzling viruses. But here again worry will not help in the least to deal with these viruses. Our continued prayers are needed for these viruses and everyone who has been affected. Resources are needed to treat Ebola especially in the underserved and poor areas where it is prevalent; also knowledge for best diagnosing and treating by health care workers across the world is important. Like every other anxiety or fear, prayer has a way of smoothing the raw edges of fear or worry so it is more manageable.

For an image of anxiety, fear, or worry I looked to my own fears. This image is from what the locals in Crested Butte refer to as, Top of the World. It sits directly across, with front row seats of the Maroon Peaks. In my younger days heights were not pleasant with the butterflies they caused in my stomach along with weakness in my knees. But with the years, an enjoyment of hiking eased away these fears and now this fear rarely shows its face. Although this was a simple fear to face, I am grateful for the practice it gave me to face the more serious ones.

At times fears and worries seem too real, but it is good to remember these are poorly equipped to deal with a challenge.

“The only real difference between Anxiety and Excitement was my willingness to let go of Fear.” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark

Peace