"The peace of God is not the comfortable avoidance of all stress. True peace has room enough for all kinds of difficulties."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 271)
What would a stress free life actually look like. I have a hunch it would actually be something closer to being dead. You would have nothing going on in your life and no one in it. Stress has always been and always will be a part of being alive. A reality we must manage, but not resolve.
When people complain of being stressed out, it has more to do with not knowing what to do. When everything feels like it is collapsing on you at one time. When 24 hours is not enough in one day. What I have found to be most helpful in those moments is to tap into my faith. It is a place that creates some storage space for the stress.
The peace of God, the knowledge of his presence in my life does not create a barrier to stress, but a much better container for it. A place to hold it for a moment and evaluate its importance. Is this stress something I can just let go of or is it something I really need to deal with. What is the possible personal growth that might come with it? When those questions have a strong container to be processed in, the right answer has a chance to surface. And when I know the difference and am managing the stress, then I have a real peace in my life.
Blessings,
Ed
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