Election Anxiety

I’m a get ‘er done kind of person, so I decided to vote on the first day of early voting. I noticed the people as I stood in the line that weaved in and out. Everyone seemed calm, some even joking and some making small talk.

I was curious. What if I had walked around to each individual and asked the question: On a scale of 1 to 10, (10 being the highest), how anxious are you about the election? I have a feeling that if people felt the freedom to be honest, there would be a lot of high numbers.

Think about it. What stirs you about this election? What if your candidate doesn’t win? How do you deal with the divisiveness around the country? Is it the headlines, news, and tweets getting to you? Maybe you feel a bit agitated about the noise going on in your head. Election anxiety is real.

I return to a familiar verse as it can guide us through this crucial time: 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Don’t be anxious- In this verse, Paul, the writer, counters our fears and anxieties with a command: Do not be anxious! Don’t worry! The solution is to give these fears we carry over to the One who can do something about them.

Can you identify what you feel fearful or worried about? What brings the greatest concern about the election? Tell God exactly how you feel. He can handle it. He tells us we don’t have to be anxious about ANYTHING! God commands us not to worry!

In every situation- Wow, EVERY situation? So, no matter what I’m going through He promises to give me peace? Yes! God may not change my circumstance, but He will change how I respond toward it, so it doesn’t continue to cause inner turmoil. So, why would I continue to live with fear, worry, and struggle with anxiety when God promises a plan for EVERY situation?

Prayer and petition- In EVERY situation, we are to instead pray to God. God hears us!  As a Christian, I know that Jesus lives in my heart. I desire to abide in Him and He is in me. (John 15:4-11) I can talk to Him throughout my day and practice casting all my cares and concerns on Him. (For example: “Lord, help me with my fears about the election. Help me trust in You knowing You are sovereign over all, no matter what happens….”)  Remember, there is nothing too great and small that we cannot give to the Lord. He cares, listens, and answers our prayers.

With thanksgiving- I THANK God for all that’s going on in my life! I literally practice giving Him thanks and praise because He is worthy! (Thank you, God, that we live in the United States of America. Thank You, God, for our freedoms. Thank You, God, for being faithful! Thank You, God, that You are good all the time.) Practice being a grateful human being!

The election is a week away. Don’t be anxious. Pray about everything. Give thanks in all things. We’re going to be ok. God is sovereign over all.

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6xcmqfiY4

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. 

When Things Don't Go as Planned

I went to the dentist early Wednesday morning thinking I had a small issue. I left two and a half hours later with a sore, swollen mouth and two new side-by-side crowns! So. Much. Fun.

I truly do have the best dentist ever! She has a brand-new office decorated in bright pink. If you’re lucky, you may get to sit in the pink room with the pink chair. Even saying all this good about my dentist, she’s still a dentist. The drilling of the old crowns lasted a good thirty minutes. Who doesn’t like that lovely sound of an electric dental drill digging deep into your teeth?

I surely didn’t have a 2.5-hour dentist appointment on my agenda that day! I was in semi-misery the rest of the day as my teeth were super mad from all they had endured. 

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, do they? It's a reminder that we are never in control as much as we’d like to be.

When God’s people received a letter of encouragement from Jeremiah, they were in exile in Babylon. Can you imagine what it would be like to live under the domination of your enemies? How would it feel to leave your homeland and settle in a foreign country? So, Jeremiah spoke the following words to the people during hardship and suffering:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

God didn’t immediately remove them from the situation in Babylon. Instead, God promised that He had a plan to prosper them during their current situation. Then, God proclaims through Jeremiah that when you "Call on me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you see me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

Wow! God is with us and has a plan when our plans don’t go our way. When God leads us into difficult seasons, it’s not to punish us. He knows exactly what’s going on in our lives and cares for us perfectly.

How do you deal with plans that don’t turn out exactly as you'd envision? Do you believe that God holds the plans for our lives? We don’t have to worry about our future! Instead, we are to trust Him for each moment. 

Don’t miss this! God promised that if they sought Him with all their heart, they would find Him. Today, Jesus invites us to seek Him. He meets us in the dentist's office. He is present in hurricanes. He cares for us in sickness and pain. He calms us in election anxiety. He's with us also when everything is clicking on all cylinders. The question remains: Will you trust Him?

Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOuRS7x55Nc

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Surpasses All Understanding

 In the craziness of this last week, I find it hard to experience that “peace that surpasses all understanding.” Watching all the hurricane clean-up in North Carolina, the fears and turmoil with Hurricane Milton, and the election rhetoric, I was ready for a quiet vacation on a remote island without internet access.

But as I started thinking about it, I didn’t need a vacation to a remote island… I needed God’s peace.

Sometimes, because we don’t understand the Bible, we give no thought to its meaning in our own lives. The Word of God is alive and active and has great meaning for us if we would only take time to read it. (Hebrews 4:12) Might it be wise for us to seek understanding through God’s Word? Consider this verse:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-8

I like the idea of having a peace that surpasses all understanding. All for it! That peace doesn’t come from something we concoct. The word surpass means: “exceed; to be greater than.” This kind of peace is greater than we can comprehend! I want that kind of peace, don’t you?

What would it mean if you and I had a peace that passes all understanding? It would mean that no matter what life throws at us, we can still have joy when we know that our victory lies in Jesus and not our circumstances. I think if we enjoyed a peace that surpasses all understanding we would exhibit a calmness of body, mind, and spirit that supersedes our circumstance. It’s not a natural peace, but a supernatural one.

It’s our circumstances that can destroy our peace. I tell you, when I focus on my circumstances and some of the challenges I face now, I can get discouraged. It’s in those moments of chaos that peace seems most elusive. My joy and peace will come and go, depending on the outcome of my circumstances. When I focus on Jesus and turn my worries to prayers, I can experience joy and peace, despite my circumstances.

This is a unique time in our lives. A lot is going on! The peace of God covers us like a warm cozy blanket when we stop worrying and instead pray about everything. Set your thoughts on Jesus and what He has done for you. In His presence, we find everything we need.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

Take a listen: Peace (Bethel Music) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6xcmqfiY4

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Even Though

It’s so incredibly heartbreaking to see the massive destruction and loss of life in North Carolina and other states. I’m so grateful for the many organizations going in to serve, rescue, provide resources, and bring hope and healing to many.

There are so many stories and more to come. This one had me in tears:

Megan Dryer, from NC, got her seven-year-old son, Micah, to the highest point of their house that she could, when things got dangerous. But once the house detached, they ran into powerlines and trees and knocked them off into the water. That’s when she and Micah went under. She could hear her parents (in their 70’s) screaming but lost sight of them. They were fighting for their lives. Micah couldn’t swim. The last thing she heard from Micah was “Jesus, please save me.” That’s when they separated in the water. They all got knocked into the water in different ways. She didn’t see them again. She continued to float down the water for 5 hours and finally got trapped in a tree. She was rescued. Her parents and son, Micah, perished.
Listen to Megan's story in its entirety here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8IKat8FDME

I can’t imagine losing one’s son and just a few days later, sharing the story on TV. Unimaginable. We look at Megan’s story and all the stories and pictures that we’ve seen that leave us undone. So many unaccounted for. So many families who have lost everything. How in the world do we make sense of this? The word being used to describe all this suffering is apocalyptic.

How DO we make sense of it all? Jesus is not a distant and disconnected Savior when bad things come our way. Jesus shows up in the messes and madness of life. Jesus is present in the suffering. Jesus is present with those in pain. Jesus is present with those who are bringing help and hope to those hurting. We need more of Jesus in our suffering.

Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  This is how we should regard the dark times of our lives. Whatever is causing us to feel as if we’re walking in uncertainty, confusion, and peril, these are the dark times. We don’t have to fear, even though that may feel impossible. If we know Jesus, God has given us victory over every circumstance because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

In reading Psalm 23, we need to remember that we are the Lord’s sheep, and He is our shepherd. It’s a reminder that being his sheep means we fully need to depend upon Him. The Lord is our shepherd. He knows all things. We don’t understand all His ways. But He promises He will guide us through the dark valleys. He is WITH us and will NEVER leave us.

God’s promises are real…. even in this desperate time for so many. And for those who are watching this from afar.....As you hear the news, turn it into a prayer for those suffering. Pray for resources, help, hope, healing, and a pathway back to normalcy. As you hear of ways to give, give. (Samaritan’s Purse, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Red Cross, and Texans on Mission are a few ways to give.) May the Lord bring healing and hope to all who are suffering today.

When I don't know what to do or how to worship, I find this song comforting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCV_2H9xD0

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.