Stress, A Lenten Suggestion

I was reading a meditation on stress yesterday. It came on the heels of another source of spiritual thought that I regularly frequent meditating on Jesus’ admonition in the sermon on the Mount not to worry. It got me to thinking—- Lent starts on February 18. Do I participate this year and what might be a worthy focus? I’m not wise enough to discern fully but feel prompted to advocate an examination of stressors in life.

Simply put, our hearts need to incorporate the truth that God has this (fill in the blank). He is sovereign, not me. Mary and Martha were having a dinner, you know the story, Martha was concerned frantically about how preparations were proceeding. Mary was listening to Jesus in quiet conversation, or perhaps Jesus was holding forth to the group. Martha was stressed out. How might Mary have felt?

What did Jesus say about Mary’s choice?

In my early business days it seemed that bosses loved to set unnecessary deadlines around the holidays as if ground was going to be broken between Christmas and New Year on the project we were compelled to complete Christmas Eve. (I was an engineer with responsibility for executing designs for building construction.) It was just a human power play, unnecessary stress. I soon recognized it. I went on to build my own firm. We worked hard for sure but all had buy in for the goals we set.

Are there unreasonable stresses that could be minimized?

Henry David Thoreau has a smallish tract “On Walking”. I think it equivalent to the ‘desolate place’ to which Jesus made a habit to retreat for prayer. (Luke 5:16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.) Thoreau made it a daily practice to walk regularly with his senses engaged, clutter removed. I love hiking in the woods, and for a while I listened to music or podcasts until I realized these kept me from being  there where I actually was. Now I purposely try to curtail the external stimuli for at least half the hike (usually 2-5 miles).

Can I develop rhythms to help reduce stress?

Most of our stress is of our own making. For sure external events, people or needs can be triggers, but how we approach these is still ours. With a process of sanctifying our priorities we can dramatically drop stress. Maybe we cannot eliminate all the events but we can discipline our reaction. To my grandkids (and myself) I point out the ultimate meaninglessness of Tic Toc, Facebook and Instagram, CNN, Fox News, You Tube, spectator sports and the like. Excessive engagement there gets our cues from the wrong sources.

What might we substitute for these, and why?

Yeah we do have blessings unavailable to previous generations: I can listen to Mozart or Handel whenever I want, or The Band or the Doors. For our forebears it was a big deal to attend a musical performance, now for so many it is reduced to incessant background noise, not something to stop engage with and appreciate. Turn off the car radio or when you do turn it on engage it with purpose, same goes for TV.

Hmmm, a possible Lenten experiment here?

Technology has brought much good: transportation, healthcare and the supposed labor saving devices (ask me about malfunctioning dishwashers right after dinner parties as guests go home, or clogged plumbing before they arrive). Stuff will break and the more you have the potential, nay the actuality, goes up.

Might it be fun to look critically at what we have and actually need before the next Amazon or instacart click?

I live just outside Nashville. We are just getting over a nasty ice storm. Without power for a couple of days. It is interesting how priorities change. Firewood, wood stove, Coleman camp stove and assorted kerosene and Aladdin lamps served us in good stead. I went outside. The silence was delicious as was reading by the lamp. But all our actions were more purposeful. After power was restored and TV again worked. I listened to the litany of people with great hue and cry complaining about the power utility.  There is a time to critique preparedness. Many were woefully unprepared personally both materially and mentally though the storm was forecast and our area got the worst of it.

Just to pause and be thankful reduces stress.

Stress comes for sure but now in my 70’s I kinda wish that I knew then what I know now and want to pass it on.

Psalm 131, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Philippians 4:4-7, Matthew 6:26-32.

May we pass these truths on to those coming up after us. and maybe this is a worthy mindful experiment for a season we call Lent.