What are the major sources of stress in my life? Do my view and approach of them make things more or less stressful?
A couple of weeks before we left to come to the States for 4 months, we were at immigration trying to get my work permit renewed in Uganda. The process had changed, and it had cost us time we didn’t have to get the permit. I stood in the hot sun at immigration stressing about how we could make the process go faster. But who was I kidding? There was no way to make the process go faster. So I began to think about what was the worst thing that could happen if the permit didn’t get processed in time. I realized it really wasn’t something worth stressing over because I would still be able to do the process when we got back. I also realized there was absolutely nothing I could do to make the process go faster, and stressing wasn’t going to help. Later, I was talking to a friend who told me her dad calls that kind of stress “junk stress.” So often the sources of my stress come from things that really are not that big of a deal or things I couldn’t change or do anything about even if I tried—it is just junk! All the stress we can exert can't cause that circumstance to change, so why are we so focused on stressing about it? Jesus told the people, “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27 NASB) I am trying to learn to put perspective on junk stress. There are lots of things that I stress over that take up my time and keep me from being productive. Jesus continuing to talk said, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34 NASB)
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