Anxiety

Lately, I have been hearing a lot about people dealing with anxiety. Some people choose to let it out while others look to medicine to help cope with life. It can be a major obstacle that severely limits a person's ability to function.

In living the quad life, regular living can be a very real struggle some days. Every few seconds, we depend on a machine to give every breath every hour of every day. Due to this, someone trained to help with breathing systems and all activities of daily living need to be present at all times. However, home care nurses are very hard to find and many people have to depend primarily on family members for help.

If you sit and think about these facts and nothing else, it's very hard to get through the day, every day. I recently spoke with the mother of a 14-year-old girl who is a quadriplegic and uses a vent. They have been looking for a caregiver for over a year with very few interviews. She is unable to go to school until more help is found and misses getting out of the house.

Other people that suffer with this problem don't necessarily have physical challenges, but the worries of life seem overwhelming to them. These cases can turn to alcohol or illegal drugs as coping mechanisms and make problems worse.

For me, a few verses of Scripture put my mind at ease. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus said to not worry about tomorrow, for God knows what we need. Constantly worrying about everything will not produce any benefit.

Yes, it is very hard to remember this at times and I have been guilty of worrying myself. In the case of the teenager above, it can make me wonder why a caregiver isn't found as one is needed. I'm sure Joseph had worry when his brothers sold him to slave traders, but he continued to trust in God.

I look at my calendar coming up and wonder how I will get everything complete for upcoming talks. It could be a source of anxiety, but I make sure to pray and continue to work on each item as it comes. May this coming week be one where we cast all anxiety on God, and make sure to remember He is the one in control.