Have you ever watched a pet hamster racing round in his wheel yet getting absolutely nowhere? Some days I feel like that. Never enough time to do everything. This modern society seems to cause more and more stress.   

Stress touches everyone. Demands at work, family crisis, uncertainty about the future, dissatisfaction with the past, unresolved emotional issues, and financial problems all affect how we think and act. How we relate to others and how others relate to us shapes our lives. People may be a source of either distress or peace.  Add to this the everyday events of life and hey presto - stress. You phone a company urgently requiring information and a recorded voice gives you 6 options, and yes; you choose the wrong option. Late for work you rush out to the car, only to find it has a puncture; and it’s raining heavily. You rush from work to pick up the kids from school only to be stuck in a heavy traffic jam. You get phone calls at the most inappropriate times from sales people.  You are swamped with junk mail which has to be shredded to avoid identity theft. The car fails the M.O.T test, and you have to pay a small fortune to keep it on the road. Don’t forget to have that chip in the windscreen repaired before it becomes a large crack and has to be replaced. Someone has dumped rubbish in your wheelie – bin so the lid won’t shut and you could have received a fine if a kind neighbour hadn’t told you. You must buy a certain brand of cleaner to put in your dishwasher, before lime scale clogs it up, causing it to flood the kitchen. You must buy a certain brand of anti-viral spray for the banister to prevent little Johnny’s germs from spreading to other members of the family. After all you can’t afford time off work. The list is endless. So how do we deal with stress? 

 

 

Jesus showed us by example that seeking God at a quiet time and place is the best remedy for life’s stresses. Jesus also found peace with friends who brought great comfort and affection to His life. This he found at the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. If we allow Him the Lord will help us deal with the inevitable pressures that are part of life here on earth.