Stew Worthy

Have you ever noticed there are things in our lives that become stew worthy?

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Something goes wrong. Somebody upsets us. We don’t know what might happen, but we’re positive about what we want. And so we stew. Mull. Work and rework options for hours. They somehow hit the level where we lie awake at night, simmering in our own juices as surely as if we were in a crock pot.

For days. Weeks. Months. Years?

Those who are champions at the sport can take the tiniest item and turn it into a gigantic trauma simply by stewing.

Assuming we’re on the same wavelength, I’ll share my discovery.

Being stew worthy can and does fluctuate. Click To Tweet

Being late can be upsetting one day and no big deal the next.
An unexpected piece of mail can be troubling one week and cause a yawn the next.
Unpaid bills can be devastating one month and unimportant the next.

I’ve noticed that the deciding factor is the general flow of life. If there’s a major issue unfolding, such as a serious car accident, or an ongoing challenge, such as a chronic illness, something that would have sent us into a tizzy on a calm day suddenly has almost no effect at all. We can put it down without taking even a moment to stew.

Case in point:

When I went to a post office in Jerusalem to collect funds from a money order, the woman displaying irrational behavior drew only a minimal response from me. Other people in the room were noticeably upset and reacting as were the clerks behind the windows. But I was so intent on accomplishing my task that she became a fly that could be warded off with minimal effort. My entire person was focused on getting one of the postal workers to put cash in my hand. Nothing else was significant.

I’ve been in other situations where people have behaved poorly and I haven’t just stood by. And I’ve gone on to carry that interaction with me (I’ll gently say) into the future. What upset me? Why did I react the way I did? How could I improve my response? Where could I go for attention next time?

The difference between the two types of situations is how a specific element relates to the other aspects of my world.

And so I ponder.

Would it be possible to adjust our thinking so that we might behave as if an irrational person, or any other such upsetting circumstance, is merely a harmless fly whether there’s a money order to collect, or any other critical need to meet?

Let’s head to the Bible where we find the report of a storm so powerful it sent waves crashing over a boat. Twelve of the men on board stewed in fear until they were convinced they were going to drown. The disciples finally woke their sleeping companion, pleading with Him to save them. Jesus scolded the wind and waves and they became tranquil.  Matthew 8:24-25, 26

Are you as tired as I am of being one of those fear-ridden seamen? Click To Tweet

What would it take for us to rest in the boat that’s carrying us along the Father’s will as serenely as our Savior did that day?

Maybe if we stop to consider the alert in Paul’s question to the Corinthians, we’d be more likely to lean back and take a nap when life rages.

“Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

The Son of God is not tied to a throne in the heavenlies. He is not living at a distant waiting for some sort of signal to appear. He lives in us. Is with us. In all His power and glory, love and mercy. Every moment. Of every day. AMEN

Let me know how that Truth sinks into your mind and heart. Comments