Dealing with stressors

An article on the Gannett Health Services website (affiliated with Cornell University) on the topic of “stress management” caught my attention. They admit that the story they use to illustrate their point is one that’s been shared in many places and the original source is unknown. They also point, correctly I think, it’s a story many resonate with.

The story is … A lecturer, when explaining stress management to a class, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.”

“If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the demands of life.”

So what burdens are you carrying today that you might need to “put down” for a while? I can’t help but think of 1 Peter 5:6-7 here: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Back in 2005 I received an email that I think has some great “perspectives” that might help with handling whatever stressful situations we are facing. Maybe they will put a smile on your face and lighten your load just a bit. Here’s that sage advice:
> Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. (Maybe a little crass but truth nonetheless).
> Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. (This is one I’ve often remembered … after it was too late).
> Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
> Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
> Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
> Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. (Or sing, or walk in the rain. The poignant part of this sentence is the phrase “get up”. Too often the world has gotten us down!)
> Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. (When you are young you had the ability to sleep late but never the time. The older you get, you have some time to sleep late, but can’t).
> The second mouse gets the cheese.
> When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
> Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
> You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
> We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
> A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. (In my life God is the author of my “detours” and if I get too consumed with the fact I’m not on the path I think I should be, I miss the scenery that the Lord wanted to point out in sending me on the detour in the first place).

I’ll be honest … right now is a pretty stressful period, and not just for me I’m sure. We face stressors at work, homes, school, with family and friends; stressors of all shapes and sizes. Here’s my list of practical things to help with stress.
1. Spend some time with the Lord. James 4:8 promises if we “draw near to God” that He will “draw near” to us.

2. Take your days off and all your vacation.

3. Ask yourself of all the things you are worried with today, how many will really matter 5 years from now.

4. Spend time with your family and friends. I have been at many bedsides as saints have passed from this life to the next and I have never once heard someone say, “I wish I’d spent more time at work!”

5. Count your blessings. The devil is really good at pointing out the things we “don’t have” but he blinds us to all of the blessings we do possess. Stop, look, and honestly examine how often you are blessed.

6. Did I say “spend time with the Lord?”

Knowing that no life is ever free of stress I’m praying for you (and me) that God will consistently give us proper perspective when life throws us a curve!