Today has been an uberly blessed and fruitful day.
One of my spiritual mentors taught me that in making a speech or a paper, the whole thought must be summarized in nine words in order for it to be easily remembered and understood. So there.
This evening we held our weekly cell group fellowship along Ortigas Ave. It was a session of sharing, practical learnings and laughters. (We invite you to come, yes you, whoever you are. You're free to come and join us!) We talked about one of the most popular issue in today’s era: STRESS. All of us have it. Those who don’t are weird. People who are busy complain that they’re busy, and it’s stressful. Other people who are not busy complain that they are not productive enough, and it’s equally stressful. I wonder what stresses you at the moment. Is it not meeting other people’s expectations? Is it financial incapability? Or maybe failure to meet your own standards set for yourself? Is it a broken relationship? Or having too many things at hand?
There is one tried and tested solution for this. Nope, it’s not escaping (which only produces guilt), nor forgetting about it. Before I type it down, I hope you can let down your guards and be open to what I’m about to say. So here it is, and take note. EMBRACE YOUR STRESS. Below is an excerpt from Scott Morton’s article “Stressed?”:
...This simply means admitting that you are scared! Tell God exactly how you feel. Then surrender the stress to Him who will give you peace. Embracing, surrendering, and receiving grace can relieve stress but may not remove the problems causing the stress. The goal is not to eliminate all stress, but to handle it in a way that honors the God who is sovereign over it...
Don’t be afraid to surrender your stressors one by one. God (who is the King of kings, the creator of Heaven and Earth, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient) knows better in handling them than you do. You on the other hand must take faith. This is going to be one adventure you’ll be thanking God for.
Earlier this afternoon, Ate Joan and I were able to make some dishes and drinks together. I shared with her bits and pieces of my life that were literally "life and death" and "make or break" situations. I thank God for our friendship. It's truly a treasure. We encouraged each other, and danced and sang joyfully as we cooked. I shall post more about our afternoon delight tomorrow. Have a stressed-free weekend everyone! :)
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