One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Peter 3:8, which says "with the Lord a day is like one thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." What this says to me is that God does not rush. He takes His time. Think about it, he could have created the earth and the fullness thereof in one day, but he stretched it out to seven days.
Red flag: When I begin to rush that's a huge sign that I'm anxious. I struggle with anxiety. I have for a very long time. Though my struggles are ongoing, I am grateful that they have improved within the last year.
I did try medication several years ago, but I have decided to take a faith-based approach to handling my anxiety. There are better days, and poor days, but I try to confess readily when I'm feeling anxious to God. Unlike in the past, when I've tried to suppress my emotions because I felt guilty for my struggles.
When my heart begins to beat rapidly, and my thoughts are coming all at once, I am reminded that this is not of God. God is stillness. God is peace. God is not confusion. God is knowledge. He is understanding. He is patience. And because God is all these things...I can relax. I can be still.
I once told someone to extend grace to himself, when he fell short of meeting his own expectations. Likewise, I need to extend grace to myself when my anxiety overwhelms me, and I don't quite respond, the way I would prefer.
What I have noticed is that since I've given up eating excessive amounts of candy, and become diligent to working out, it's not as bad. As I look forward to more years on this earth, I am hopeful of what's ahead, and thankful for my day-to-day revelations in overcoming anxiety.
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