I have been working on another post about the peace I am expereincing about a large stressor. I have been sick all weekend, so I wasnt able to finish it. Since peace has been on my mind this week, I have been thinking about some obervations about both myself and others and decided to write a quick post about that.
It seems to me that often for many of us, it is easier to find peace, acceptance, or to surrender (or whatever term you want to use) regarding some of life's bigger stressors than the everday ones. For example, I remember being able to not worry about buying our fisrt home, yet the toilet paper being put on the hook backwards bothers me! I am finding peace in a very challenging situation right now, yet I am stressed about marker on the chair, the donut that got dropped in the car, the messy hair for school, etc etc etc.
Two primary things have popped into my mind regarding this. The first was recalling the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" that I used in the past when runing groups at the inpatient hospital and at the therapeutic residential school where I previously worked. Clearly, it is a common theme that we "sweat the small stuff" much more than needed and there is peace in learning to let go of these small stressors. I do believe that there are many things (e.g., lack of sleep, poor diet, limited exercise, other stressors, etc) that make us more likely to react to the smaller ones, but these factors are also present in the larger ones, so what else is going on?
In thinking about the answer to this question, the second thing that has occupied my mind is our tendency to turn to God or others for support during the larger stressors, but less so during the day to day ones. I will gladly let you make me a meal or do something else to help me during this challenging time, but am I willing to say I need help day to day because of the small things? I call on my God and my friends daily right now about getting through this challenge and I am truly at peace, yet I dont ask for help when I am frustrated and exhausted from dealing with a child's nightmares all night long.
So, even though if you ask me how I am doing and I respond with something like taking it day by day, counting my blessings, grateful, or at peace, the real answer is "I'm at peace about the big thing you are concerned with and I am struggling to find those same feelings in other smaller moments of my day and life." In order to truly live a life where we are able to embrace God's peace (which is the true blessing He gives, not jobs, cars, homes, etc...maybe more on that later!), we need to seek His support and guidance and the support of others in not only the big things, but also in "the small stuff."
It seems to me that often for many of us, it is easier to find peace, acceptance, or to surrender (or whatever term you want to use) regarding some of life's bigger stressors than the everday ones. For example, I remember being able to not worry about buying our fisrt home, yet the toilet paper being put on the hook backwards bothers me! I am finding peace in a very challenging situation right now, yet I am stressed about marker on the chair, the donut that got dropped in the car, the messy hair for school, etc etc etc.
Two primary things have popped into my mind regarding this. The first was recalling the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" that I used in the past when runing groups at the inpatient hospital and at the therapeutic residential school where I previously worked. Clearly, it is a common theme that we "sweat the small stuff" much more than needed and there is peace in learning to let go of these small stressors. I do believe that there are many things (e.g., lack of sleep, poor diet, limited exercise, other stressors, etc) that make us more likely to react to the smaller ones, but these factors are also present in the larger ones, so what else is going on?
In thinking about the answer to this question, the second thing that has occupied my mind is our tendency to turn to God or others for support during the larger stressors, but less so during the day to day ones. I will gladly let you make me a meal or do something else to help me during this challenging time, but am I willing to say I need help day to day because of the small things? I call on my God and my friends daily right now about getting through this challenge and I am truly at peace, yet I dont ask for help when I am frustrated and exhausted from dealing with a child's nightmares all night long.
So, even though if you ask me how I am doing and I respond with something like taking it day by day, counting my blessings, grateful, or at peace, the real answer is "I'm at peace about the big thing you are concerned with and I am struggling to find those same feelings in other smaller moments of my day and life." In order to truly live a life where we are able to embrace God's peace (which is the true blessing He gives, not jobs, cars, homes, etc...maybe more on that later!), we need to seek His support and guidance and the support of others in not only the big things, but also in "the small stuff."