I wonder what life would be like without stress? On the one hand, it sounds like a wonderful thing; but I wonder if it would really bring the peace and contentment that the thought of no stress seems to promise.
Since life seems always to be filled with some kind of stress [getting up for work, getting children off to school, meeting committee deadlines, buying a gift for an upcoming event, etc.], it must be the way we deal with stress that matters and not the stress itself.
I think remembering that God is in control of everything will help us stay calm when things seem to pile up or go wrong. We can avoid some stress by preparing ahead in those areas where this is possible such as planning ahead for meals, getting the laundry done before everyone is out of clothes, getting to bed on time so that we can actually get up on time, having children pack their backpacks the night before, etc. These things will help, but realizing that we are really not in control of everything and watching or listening for what God wants to teach us when things fall apart is perhaps more important.
If we constantly "lose our joy" when things "go wrong," we show that we are not trusting God. I know this is not always easy; I just fell apart a few minutes ago when pressure I was not prepared to deal with overwhelmed me, and I'm not too happy with myself at the moment. So now I get to start over and try to do better the next time - with God's help.
Blessings to all.
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Don't berate yourself too much. We all have limits on how much pressure it takes to succumb for a time, or to be overwhelmed. A Bible verse that has always been helpful to me is, "Be still and know that I am God." Sometimes to endure the unendurable, or what seems to be unendurable, is a difficult thing, and sometimes it seems to be impossible. May God grant you strength, and I pray for an easing of whatever pressures you find yourself dealing with. On another note about losing joy when things go wrong, I believe it is a normal human reaction. How long does the lost joy last? Moments, an hour, a day? As I said to the church secretary when she said that God must have been with me when I was unhurt in a bad accident [to my car at least}, "God would have been with me just the same, even if I had been injured." And as I said to a great-grandson a couple of years ago, "You cannot be, where God is not." He is there, when things are right; He is there when things are wrong, extending His hand," waiting for your Carolyn smile.
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