Breathing Room For My Soul
Sometimes collecting trouble seems like the wisest and most practical thing to do.
By Zion Montgomery
I know for me personally, that certainly feels like the case. I am a recent, working mama of two (the Radiant Sister squad did not fully prep me for the 2-under-2 situation, by the way!!) and learning a new rhythm of life. Then this week, we received some pretty scary news regarding my father. So, I begin collecting trouble. Of course, I call it strategizing; making a plan; trying to be wise and a good steward; all the “oh so holy” masks for… collecting trouble.
Here’s the thing. Like weeds choke out room in a garden for beauty to grow, so does the trouble of life choke out room in our hearts and minds for God to create life.
Anxiety is seductive, in the sense that it feels somewhat productive. If I’m not anxious, have I truly weighed the seriousness of the situation rightly? Isn’t my anxiousness a sign that I am understanding, that I have grasped the gravity of what is happening around me? And then, from that place of anxiousness, am I not more equipped to act and make things better?
The truth is… NO. We’re not. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus asks us a potent question: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
Anxiety is not productive. In fact, it is the opposite of productive, and acting from a place of anxiety can land us in a much worse position! Many of us know that anxiety produces in us a fight-or-flight response. Our body reacts as if we were running from a bear. If you are in a forest and running from a bear, you are not considering where the best place would be to make camp - you are not considering where you would be able to scavenge for food, or where there is a clean water source, or where you could have a great view of the sunrise. No, your singular focus is to get away from the bear. Who cares if you end up in a worse spot than when you began? And many of us do.
I repeat, like weeds choke out room in a garden for beauty to grow, so does the trouble of life choke out room in our hearts and minds for God to create life.
What do you feel is the bear in your life? What are you running from or trying desperately to avoid? What do you feel powerless to or helpless to change? Where is anxiety and fear whispering to you? These are the places in our lives where we plant weeds in the gardens of our hearts.
Can I encourage you as Charlotte Gambill did at Radiant Conference a few years back? “Get bossy with your soul.” Confront these thoughts. Pull up the weeds of anxiety that choke out God’s best for you. Remind your soul that He is the God that leads us beside still waters and into green pastures. It may feel foolish or risky to release worry, but it is a radical act of faith. Pull up the weeds of anxiety, and watch God create life in its place. May you connect with Him who can create breathing room for your soul.
Psalm 62:3-4 in the Message version says: “You’ve always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all, a lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest.”