There is much stress today. Many married persons are stressed as they try to juggle their challenging role of mom or dad with other responsibilities.
Modern demons such as competition, jealousy, and lack of trust in God multiply stress. There is also stress from COVID-19.
Stress is not new. In Mark 6:31, it says that people were coming and going in such great numbers that it was impossible for Jesus and his disciples to even eat!
Stress can rob us of sleep, suppress our body’s immune system, and make us vulnerable to many illnesses. It can decrease our efficiency at work, make us impatient, prone to anger, and cause us to act in other un-Christian ways.
Someone wrote, ‘‘I have struggled with stress and approval and I continue to work on these challenges. Exercise, rest, and eating right are important. What increases my stress is fear of failure, fear of disappointing people, or not meeting another’s expectations. It drains me!’’
If we hold a glass of water for a minute, it won’t be very heavy. But if we hold it for an hour, our tired arm drops to rest. The same is true of stress. We need to put it down so we can rest. When we are rested, we can pick it up again and it will be lighter.
Maureen Killoran wrote, “Stress is not what happens to us. It is our response to what happens. Sharing a cup of coffee, a stimulating conversation with a compassionate friend can reduce stress. Listening to soothing music, watching a movie, or enjoying a nap or siesta can also help to relieve stress. We can also find relief from stress through spending time with God’s gift of creation which can renew us.
To respond to COVID stress, according to stress experts the following is helpful:
- Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Exercise regularly. Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.
- Continue with routine preventive measures (such as vaccinations, cancer screenings, etc.)
- Pray!
Prayer can help to reduce stress. To help her sleep, a woman who lives and works in a ghetto lights candles and prays. Prayer by candlelight helps her to experience God’s peace. In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale suggested taking timeouts of silence and inviting God to help us relax through short Bible passages. In Psalm 46:11 it says, “Be still and know that I am God.” In Matthew 11:28, Jesus promises, “Come to me all you who labor and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.”
Prayer helped a young girl’s family through Calvary times. Her dad was being sued. The publicity embarrassed her family in the community, school, and parish. No family member knew how to respond except her mother. Every evening her mother gathered the family to pray. Prayer gave them strength to make it through the night. Eventually, her father’s good name was cleared.
Let us continue to begin each day with prayer. It helps to relieve the duress of stress. Amen.
Fr. Donald Lange is a pastor emeritus in the Diocese of Madison.