If I’m going to learn to stop freaking out over every little thing, I need to get a plan.
I forgot the rolls for Christmas dinner.
I’ve never done that before. It wasn’t like I forgot the turkey or anything. I mean rolls are a side dish to the side dish, but still the unfolding of the roll-less Christmas dinner had me freaking out for about 20 seconds.
My sweet daughters took up the gauntlet and ran out in search of some cook and serve rolls, but despite their speedy efforts, not a store or restaurant within a five mile radius could be found open, except for the authentic Indian grocery store around the corner, but alas, there were no rolls.
My darling husband tried to help by speaking very deliberately to me about staying calm and not letting this cause me to freak out. I wanted to punch him. Seriously, the last thing someone who’s about to have a meltdown wants to hear is “It’s no big deal. Just calm down.”
And my precious in-laws said no worries and then went on talking non-stop about something completely un-roll related.
I went into slow motion. It’s a strange thing when what you know in your head diverges sharply from what the rest of you is feeling. I knew not having rolls wasn’t a life shattering event, but the rest of me wasn’t feeling it.
Eventually, I did get around to being thankful for what I had instead of being a baby about what I had forgotten. It just took me a few minutes.
All of that has gotten me thinking about my need to tame my freak out and live my beliefs into the small every day stuff.
My faith should be a part of the little, breadless spaces in my life as well as the big stuff. But bringing that kind of thinking into view isn’t easy when you’re being pelted with bad thing after little bad thing.
So…
I’ve come up with a plan of attack for this. It’s still in the formulating stages and hasn’t been tested yet, but I thought I’d share it anyway. I call it my “How-to-get-my-freak-out-of-2016” plan.
It’s just a few things to keep in mind. Nothing new really. Just some guidelines to help me take charge instead of letting my circumstances take charge of me. Little reminders, if you will.
- Think big. It’s a little world that is shattered by the lack of rolls, bad traffic, grumpy people, and you get the picture. My world isn’t small like that. It’s bigger. At least I want it to be. I want to have a bigger picture– one that reaches past space and time and resides in the palm of God’s precious hand.
- Be thankful. There may not be any bread on the table, but at least there’s a table.
- Look beyond. You can choose to dwell on what you’ve lost, or you can look beyond to what is waiting for you.
- No punching. Ever.
- Embrace the freak. Pretending like nothing’s wrong is a lie. So face it down. I think embracing our weaknesses is actually a sign of strength. We are, after all, warriors fighting a battle that uses weapons like discouragement, doubt, and dread to hold us back. We can be stronger than that. Especially, if you are a believer. God has not left you defenseless. He has a suit of armor just for you.
I’m not sure how that’s all going to work out for me, but I thought I’d give it a try.
Do you ever freak out over “little” stuff?
How do you handle it?
I have to catch myself in the act of worrying about small potato things. Then I can remind myself that I am loved by the Creator of the universe. Perspective takes over. I do not know how those who do not know God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit handle life’s circumstances.
Thanks for reminding me, MB. Another great post.
Have a Happy New Year.
Fred
Happy New Year Fred! Hope you have a great 2016!
Yes, I freak out over little stuff … usually after I’ve been dealing a bunch of big stuff. I like your suggestions about how to conquer these episodes. Embrace the Freak may be the hardest and most effective one. Gotta give it a try.
My daughter also mentioned something about how bigger issues could be behind freaking out over the little stuff. That is something to keep in mind. I’m still working on this. Two steps forward … and a lot of grace! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Hope your 2016 is wrapped in peace and the freak outs are few and far between!
[…] stress and forgetting that I’m a warrior and not a big baby. Maybe they could help with those freak-outs and put an end to my meandering around trying to make a point. […]