Too Many Tabs

If you're anything like me, when you are working at a computer you probably have at least 5 or more tabs open in your browser.  One for each of the websites you're using or are needing to look at.  I'll sit down to do something and then of that one thing I wanted to look up a week ago and open a tab for it.  Oh but hold on, there was that other item I wanted to look for on Amazon.  New tab.  While looking on Amazon I remember that I need to check on my kids' school websites.  New Tab.  Oh and I want to post a cute picture of some mice on the Faceboook wall of a friend who might be a little creeped out by them.  New tab.

Before you know it, you're literally doing about 10 things at once.  Then the phone rings and you close out of the browser.  And guess what?  You didn't finish ANYTHING you set out to because you gave about 8% of your attention and effort to all of the things, instead of 100% of your effort to one thing at a time.

Our minds can be like that too, with too many tabs open.  We worry about our kids, we think about that one time 10 years ago when we got away for the weekend with no kids at all.  We wonder if we bought cat food (because seriously, that cat will meow at ANYTHING and I always think he needs food).  Did I send my daughter a lunch?  Did I ever send in that $2 so she could go on the field trip?  Oh my gosh, it's almost time to shop for summer clothes.  I need to put a workout on my schedule.  Shorts are NOT going to be kind to me.  Do my friends think I'm an idiot?  Does the cashier at Walmart think I'm weird when I answer, "Yes, how about you?" when she asks me if I found everything ok today?  Did I seriously go all day with my eyeliner smudged halfway down my face?  What if my cat dies?  If I die, will my husband know how to pay the bills? 

All of those tabs open is EXHAUSTING, you guys.  Shut those tabs down.  Click the little X.  Open the God tab.  Spend time with Him.  Dive into His Word.  Lay your mind to rest and let Him do the worrying for once.  Ask Him for help with this crazy thing we call life.  He'll help, I swear it.

(In case you're wondering, no - I didn't buy cat food.  And yes, I'll need to go pick some up tomorrow.  He wants to eat EVERY SINGLE DAY!)

A Dream, anxiety, and a Life Verse

As I mentioned before, I have two daughters.  One is 11 (hello, pre-teen years, you really blindsided me).  And the other is nearly 8.  I woke up in the early morning hours today weeping and terrified of a dream I had just had.  In it, my sweet baby girl was gone.  No warning or lead-in, she was just gone.  I couldn't find her and I was so, so panicked.

I struggle with anxiety and depression.  A lot of us do behind closed doors.  And when that happens, I so often retreat into myself and try to process it myself.  Why do I do this?  I know that over the course of the past few years, when I have given my worries over to God (truly and wholly - not just for a little while), He shows me a way to work through them.  But when I don't, I let fear capture me.

The Apostle Paul is very clear about what we must do in these situations.  In his letter to the Phillipians, it's pretty well laid out:

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 4:6-7 NIV

For me, this is my Life Verse.  I refer back to it so often I have it memorized (and memorizing is NOT easy for a gal like me).  What are the most important words in this verse?

By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

It's not enough to just sometimes say, "God I need your help."  It's such a good start, but how do we feel when the first words out of someone's mouth are "I need you to do something for me?"  We encapsulate the situation with how much we NEED something that we forget about being thankful for what we do have, and about being more consistent in the relationship that allows us to lean on others, including God.

Losing one of my children is one of my biggest fears.  It's my first and foremost "what if."  What if one of them get taken?  What if they get lost?  What if someone hurts them?  What if, What if, What if.  Can we control What ifs?  Not so much - but we can be diligent in keeping our children as safe as possible.  Let's try and hand the rest over to God.

My husband and I think alike for sure.  In our past nearly 19 years together we have proven time and again that we are usually thinking the same things at the same time.  He just sent a message to me that read, "worrying won't help, but being cautious is ok."  I'll take it.