Stomaching Stress

Two things play havoc with my stomach; excitement and good anxiety; stress and bad anxiety. The phone call I had yesterday was of the negative sort. The home loan modification I thought would save us financially did not go through. The underwriting arm of the loan corporation nixed the adjustment. This led to a period of intense anxiety for me.


In response to the anxiety I made the decision to memorize Psalm 46. While trying to calm down I found a list of 10 Bible passages every pastor should memorize cold (H/t Desiring God.org). Psalm 46 jumped out at me primarily because it begins; “God is our refuge and our strength…” The psalm cites God’s power in creation and human events. The corollary drawn from that is that we should not fear. God is capable and in control.

I am packing and planning for the trip we are making to Guatemala. I find my stomach churning again. It is stress but it is the good kind. Still there is the tension of setting up bills to be paid (thank goodness for online banking), packing, confirming travel reservations and following up with care agents.

In the midst of all of this I’m wondering if there’s not some universal law that states, “Everything that can blow up will blow up before a vacation.” Today I wanted to leave work early so I asked my boss if I could. At that exact moment he realized that my performance review was overdue and would be more overdue if he waited until I returned from time away. I clocked out at my usual time. I’ve already mentioned the home loan situation. On top of that none of my orders for milk products and muffins came in to the store from the warehouse. I have no way of knowing if they will arrive or if we will run out of product. The best laid plans….

Nothing soothes the stomach like being well rested and well fed. That is the blessing of vacations and time away with loved ones. The problems will still be here when I return. Rest and adventure guarantee that on returning one has the stomach and the guts to deal with major and minor stressors.