Feeling stressed? Rest.

Feeling stressed? Rest.

Sharing is caring!

Are you feeling stressed? In the last few months, multiple changes caused me anxiety. An interesting fact about geckos popped up in our home-school science class though that got me thinking about easing up a bit during transitions.

Comparing gecko hairs and people hair

Did you know that tiny hairs on geckos’ feet help them to be excellent climbers, even sticking to glass surfaces? “These hairs are one hundredth of a centimeter long and are packed so that five million hairs fit per one square inch. At the end of each hair, there are several hundred branches that end in extremely tiny spatula-like structures.” They use Van der Waals forces which exist between all molecules. (page 500, Exploring Creation with Biology, Wile and Durnell, 2nd edition)

Don’t you wonder who got the job of counting those hairs? How frustrating it would be to be interrupted.  “Three hundred thousand, nine hundred ninety-seven, three hundred thousand, nine hundred ninety-eight . . . sneeze. Where was I? Ugh. One, two, three . . .”

Well, technology was involved, I am sure, to be so accurate. Still, how incredible it is that our God knows the number of hairs on our heads at any given time. (That’s important for some balding folks.) Hey, God even knows how many hairs grow in the beards of each of my family members.

Learning to trust God, rest

God is so amazing to know everything about us. So why do we become undone when confusion strikes over decisions that look equally good, but only one choice is right or best? God has this! He does.

Although resting is what we are to do, it isn’t our first inclination—at least not mine. Maybe you’ve got this down? My initial response is usually trying to figure it out on my own. What is the right thing to do? Pray, of course. Pray continuously about all things.

Not me. Bring out the paper and pencil. Start analyzing the pros and cons and what ifs. Stop, stop, stop. Pray and rest. Pray and rest. We are promised direction and peace if we rely on Him.

Sometimes we must just choose and move on. I have tried to assure myself that because I have prayed about it and am relying on Him, my paths will be made straight.

Seeking for answers is heart issue

Yet the heart is deceitful so maybe I’m lying to myself. Maybe I subconsciously determined which way I wanted to go and didn’t really listen for direction? Do you ever get into arguments with yourself over stuff like this?

“Write it on the wall. Write it on the wall!” And yet if that happened, I would probably react the same way as the people did when that actually did happen. Freak out. Ask what does that mean? Call in someone wiser and ask them to tell me what to do!

Did God really say that? If it is in the Bible, yes. Not there? Well, then we must depend upon the depth of our relationship with Him. If we make a mistake, we get another chance to make it right most of the time.

It’s a heart matter.

Keep praying, rest in Him

Let us pray together. Here’s one for each of us: Lord, since you know how many hairs are on my head and how many are on a gecko’s foot, and since you know how that gecko sticks to the window and how I come unglued, please stick close to me and provide me the answers I seek. Lead me in your paths for your paths are straight and clear. Give me that peace that passes beyond all understanding. Give me that clear, pure heart and allow me to hear You. Forgive me my mistakes. I am but a distracted child seeking her Daddy in the crowd. Once you grab my hand, I know I am safe. Thank you.

What do you do when you become indecisive or stuck?

Photo by Julie Marsh on Unsplash

4 Replies to “Feeling stressed? Rest.”

  1. I love this, Michelle. I think it is the most interesting, enjoyable, and helpful article on rest I have ever read. Love the correlation between the gecko’s feet sticking to glass and us “sticking” to our great God when we need help. I enjoyed this. Lots to think about.

    1. Thanks, Donna. What a nice compliment. I hope when we get stressed, we’ll remember to stick to Jesus. I am so glad you enjoyed it. You are such a blessing and such an encourager. God bless you!

  2. Great article Michelle, but when I saw the pic of the gecko chills went up and down my spine. As you may remember my sister lives in FL and I have visited several times. Geckos drive me insane…they are too big to squash like a bug…and they are CREEPY and FAST!!!! My sister had a name for one that was always on their window. Yuck!!!

    I still get into that “freak out” mode as well when challenges arise. And I am a victim of getting caught up in other people’s/loved one’s drama. It’s hard to separate care and loving from having one’s insides churning along with other people’s real life dilemmas.

    1. If I ever meet a wild gecko, I am sure I will react in a similar way, Deb! LOL When we love someone, it’s hard to not get stressed, that’s for sure! I am thankful we can encourage each other along. Somehow, you always seem to have the right words for me when I need to hear them. You are a blessing to many, don’t forget it! God bless you! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.