Blessed But Stressed

"Reality is the leading cause of stress for those in touch with it."    ~ Jane Wagner

Just a heads-up.  If my husband and I go missing, and you see two suspicious piles of ashes, look no further.  You may just have found the answer to the age-old question of what causes spontaneous combustion:  STRESS.   That's right.  You know all those people on the Discovery Channel who mysteriously self-incinerated?  One minute they were trying to get through page ten of their to-do list, and the next......poof.  That's my theory at least.  As for us?  We may be the next to go.

I'm writing this blog at 3:00 a.m.  Why?  Well, one reason is that I ran out of Nyquil.  The other is that every time I wake up, I lay there thinking of what needs to be done the next day.  What library books or videos are overdue and now costing me a fortune.  What each kid needs to remember to take to school.  The fact that we're all out of orange juice. 

Stress.  It's been my constant companion these last couple of years.  We knew right away that the year 2008 was going to be a doozy.  It's never a good sign when your husband gets in a car accident on January 1st.  The rest of the year brought a new challenge every month:  major vet bill, multiple car repairs, OCD diagnosis, brother in a coma, carpet damage, biopsy, and adjusting to the addition of a fourth child in the midst of it all.  There were also blessings, of course:  healing, hope, and a new son with a smile that lights up a room.  But still, we welcomed the year 2009 with a celebration, chanting, "2008 was not so great....2009 will be divine!"

And then came 2009.  The collapse of the housing market is especially unpleasant when your family income depends on people wanting to buy homes.  It also makes trying to sell 7 1/2 acres of property a little tricky.  Add to these stressors a money-sapping car, a first-time homeschooling experience, dealing daily with both a teenager and a toddler, multiple health issues, conflict at church, two children's special needs, an adoption that refuses to be finalized, and heading up a Sunday School makeover, and you have the makings of a couple who are one spark away from incinerating.

I know what you may be thinking:  "My year was worse than yours."  "You just need to count your blessings."  "So many people have it worse than you and they're not whining."  No argument here.  See, I'm not a big fan of complaining, especially when, in fact, I am blessed beyond measure.  I guess you could say I'm "Blessed but Stressed."  I am, however, a big fan of acknowledging that being a Christian does not guarantee us a stress-free journey, or even that we will always be at peace in the midst of the storm.   The life preserver of peace is always available to us...it's just not always grasped, because sometimes we just don't have the energy. And sometimes life throws a bunch of lousy stuff your way, and you just don't feel like playing Pollyanna (believe me...we tried:  "Kids....what's something we can be happy about in the fact that the puppy ate an entire chicken breast and now has to have surgery which will drain every last penny out of our pocket this month?   Anyone?"). 

Does it make us less Christlike to allow stress to drive us crazy?  Sure.  I don't think Jesus ever shouted, "One more word out of anyone and I drive this car off the next cliff!" (But I did.  Just yesterday).  Does Jesus understand?  I believe so.  After all, he had to deal with the Pharisees, the often slow-to-get-the-picture disciples, and people constantly seeking his death.  There's some stress for you. 

So.  We resolved ourselves early on that 2009 was not going to be the "bringing in the sheaves" year.  But don't worry.  We still hold out hope for 2010.  On January 1st we'll chant, "2009 was NOT divine, in 2010 we'll try again!"  That is, if we don't spontaneously combust first.