Have you ever heard the phrase, "ants in their pants"? It's an older term that I heard a lot, especially when I was a fidgety, squirmy kid. My teachers and parents often asked me if I had ants in my pants because I just could not sit still. It didn't matter if I was watching a movie, reading a book, or eating a meal. I wriggled and moved almost constantly. Now, we understand this to be a symptom of anxiety, but those types of issues weren't dealt with much back then. (Boy, I sound old, don't I? lol)
My family still laughs about the "night I lost a good hamburger" because I couldn't sit still at the dinner table. I was about 6 years old, and none of my siblings had arrived on the family scene yet. Mama, Daddy, and I were eating hamburgers at the table in the kitchen. As usual, I was leaning back in my chair and rocking it back and forth on the back legs when all of a sudden, I leaned too far and the chair went out from under me. The chair went in front, I flew back, and the hamburger I was holding went airborne. We still laugh about it, and it's been nearly 60 years since that night.
Sometimes, anxiety is obvious. Sometimes, not so much. The holidays are upon us, and caregiving situations can lend themselves to increased anxiety. On top of our usual caregiving duties, we often feel pressure to perform holiday duties, too. Even for those who really enjoy indulging in the holidays, anxiety can be at an all-time high. But there is good news, even if you feel you are sitting on an ant hill.
In Psalm 94:19, the psalmist said, In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. God doesn't move further away when we get more anxious. He is still nearby, eagerly waiting to comfort our souls. He continues to offer us His peace, and He is not afraid of our anxieties. Our anxieties don't make Him anxious. :-) Our Keeper continues to calmly care for our souls. He is right there in the middle of our anxieties and worries with us, and He has no condemnation or judgment to cast our way. He reaches out to us with compassion, love, peace, and comfort - just like all the other days.
Today, I will remind myself to take my anxieties to Him. My thoughts will be on how I can let Him help me carry my responsibilities and cares for today. I'll quiet my soul before Him and seek His peace for my heart today. I'll tell myself that He's still got me, and He will always have me in His heart. I will trust Him for today. Will you join me?
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Now Published in Paperback!
I will be doing a caregiver-only video series using this book. In each video, I'll read the verses given each day, read the affirmation, and briefly discuss the prompt. Please grab a copy of the book and plan on joining me each morning in January. The videos will be released on my YouTube channel each morning in January to coincide with the Affirmations book. You don't want to miss it!!
I finished publishing Affirmations for Caregivers last night! It contains an affirmation, a verse or two to read, and a prompt for a very short response for each day. You can download the eBook from the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore right now and print it and and start today! The print version is also now available on Amazon! Check it out!
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