Breathe

Stay Calm!

Have you ever sat completely still listening to someone speak and you felt it? You felt that feeling of panic slowly rise up past your gut and into your chest until you realize...

You're not breathing??

Well, that happened to me today. 

I sat in a meeting at work listening to expectations set for me this year and I felt that feeling...but I was able to hold it off.

And then, later, I spoke to my editor about my manuscript he is currently editing and he said it needs a lot of work. Oh no. I know what that means. 

There it was again. That feeling.

PANIC!

I got off the phone and realized I had stopped breathing.

That feeling of panic had crept into my chest and began to choke my heart.

"What have I done?" I asked myself. "I am fooling myself. I am no more a writer than that cricket crawling near my foot! I can't teach this stuff. I have students coming in next week expecting me to teach them something...anything...about writing. What was I thinking??"

I tried to take a breath, but it just wouldn't come. Panic had stopped the breathing process. 

Stay calm. 

Try. To. Breathe.

Have you ever experienced this?

Just Breathe

So I went running after work and took all my frustrations out on the mountain.

And I was able to breathe again. Whew.

The psalmist said:

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act."  Ps. 37:5

Praise God.

We don't ever have to rely on ourselves. We can trust in Him knowing He will act. He will take over.

 In my weakness, His strength is perfected. 

He will take care of my every need. Some people I know are dealing with much worse than mere stress from a new job and an overly critical editor.

I am blessed. 

Thanks, Lord.

Your turn: How do you deal with those days when PANIC starts to set in? What Bible verse do you turn to?

Blessings,

Ruth