I’ll be honest with you, until last Friday, I was sure I wasn’t stressed about the virus or anything else at all. I am “level-headed” in general, which for me actually means having the habit of stuffing my feelings and addressing the situation with practical solutions. Not the healthiest, I admit.

After the second employee in our building went for testing, I found myself Friday morning filling in, and pondering the questions I’m sure many of you have already. “When will my work close? What if they don’t? How many people will be affected if this person tests positive? What about so-and-so’s young kids? Or the guy next to them with heart problems? How long should I wear this mask?” I felt a bit tense and confused. Then the Active Shooter Alarm went off.

I’ll spare you the drama and tell you now that there was no shooter, the alarm was accidentally tripped. The system notified us to leave the building, which we did. Police responded in an amazing time, and everyone went back to their jobs in less than 30 minutes, albeit with a few more grey hairs (and the Covid-19 test was clean). It wasn’t until an hour later, when one of my work friends whom I hang out with at 2 o’clock break was waiting for me at 9:20 and I had to use the bathroom and should call my husband to tell him I’m okay and had NO TIME or energy to deal with another person right now… … my stuffed emotions started erupting and I finally realized I was stressed out.

Fortunately I’ve been in a similar situation at work (the stressed part, not the alarm part) and know exactly where to turn when I’m overwhelmed by anxiety. Which is the same place that you can turn in your moments of stress and anxiety today. Or tomorrow if it doesn’t affect you right away.

Philippians 4:6-7 - “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

If you’re anything like me, and God brings this verse to your mind when you are stressed, you respond like this: “Well, God, that’s all well and good to tell me not to be anxious, but SERIOUSLY. Like telling anyone to not worry ever actually helped them to not worry! I’m gonna need something more practical here, God. Concrete steps.”

 I am humbled and amazed, dear friends, to tell you that God knows what we need, and wants to give it to us. He gently responded something like this: “I did.”

“Okay,” says I, taking a deep breath. “So if you really provided this verse as a way for me to calm down, I guess I better take a closer look at it.” So that’s what I did, and I took God’s word literally. Because all of his words are truth, right? God opened my eyes to this scripture anew. So I’ll break it down for you here just like I did in my head at work.

“Be anxious for nothing...” - This is a command. I’m not supposed to worry – about anything. But how?

“… but in everything…” - Literally everything? So I guess I’m going to address everything I can think of that I am worried about right now? Hold tight, God, it’s a long list! But He can take it, because God numbered all the hairs on my head, so He can handle the many details of my worries.

“...by prayer...” - Prayer is the part of my conversation with God where I do the talking. So I am  just going to tell Him about all those things that worry me. In detail. And why. And cry about it (while pretending to have allergies so the guys at work don’t freak out about my emotional crisis moment). Tell Him the good, the bad, the confusing, and the unknown – and the fact that I don’t like it and have no control over any of these things or the timing of my own emotions. But I know that he cares for me, and wants me to talk to Him. He catches my tears in a bottle. He delights in me and our relationship since I am His child and He is my Father who loves me so, so much.

“...and supplication...” - Which is basically a prayer request for someone else. So I guess this is the part where I pray for all those people that I should be praying about more often? Which is probably good, because I just spent an hour basically whining to God about myself. There are a lot of other people with worries too, and in difficult situations. God cares just as much about them and their problems as He does about mine.

“...with thanksgiving...” - Oh boy, what exactly am I supposed to be thankful about here? I hope it’s not my situation – nope, “’Give thanks in everything,’ not for everything.” Let’s start with all the facts I just re-discovered about God and how good and gentle and patient He truly is. And how blessed I am to be able to pour out my heart to an infinite and almighty God who loves me! And how many good things he has given me – shelter, food, clothes, family, friends, Christian brothers and sisters, His word, His Son, my salvation, my life. Not to mention that because He loves me I know He is working for my good; so those things I’m worried about, I can thank Him for how He is going to take care of them. And for how He is using them in His plan for me and for others.

“...let your requests be made know to God.” - Request; so now that I’ve told God about all of my worries I am supposed to ask him for what I want. Even if it’s a long list, or if I don’t really know what I want, or if I have to admit that what I want may not be part of His will for me, and instead ask Him to change my heart and surrender to His plan by faith. Because He is a good God, who gives to those who ask, and opens to those who knock, and helps seekers find.

“And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Let me tell you, friends, the peace that God gave my heart after those 2 hours spent with Him indeed surpassed my understanding. In following those steps I was reminded just what a loving God was in charge of my future. And my heart was comforted by the communion of prayer, and the honesty with which I poured it out as a sweet smelling aroma before God. Don’t be afraid of Him. He didn’t turn me away in my bluntness, anger, doubt or worry. Come to think of it, David did the same things and God didn’t turn him away, either. I mean, you should read Psalms sometime! Instead, God listened to my worries and calmed my heart. His word and the peace He gave me through it shielded my heart from any more doubts or attacks from the enemy that day.

He is waiting to do the same for you. If you’re overwhelmed by stress or uncertainty today, please take a moment to pray using Philippians 4:6-7. Let God shoulder all those worries for you.

“Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” -1 Peter 5:7

- Dani Waltner