“Do not be afraid”

Anyone else have anxiety move into their thoughts lately? Just me?

Have you seen the 2nd Inside Out movie yet? The first Pixar deep dive into feelings is about ten years old now so it was time for the creators to add some emotions. And they did so masterfully this past summer. Click on this link below to see one of the new emotions personified for all us: anxiety.

Inside Out 2 | Where Can I Put My Stuff 

Four years ago, in the thick of a pandemic I was working at Saint Luke’s Hospital on the plaza as a chaplain resident. It was a formative year that affirmed my calling to be with people in their most difficult days. The most difficult days that year were exacerbated by masking requirements, visiting restrictions and burnout on an unprecedented level for the medical staff. There are many memories I have from my sacred work that year but perhaps a phrase that my lead educator would often ask me in our one-on-one meetings has proven to be the greatest lesson I learned. He would lean back in his chair and gently ask me what I planned to do with my anxiety that day… and we would talk through some strategies that I could use to remember that anxiety did not rule my work in the middle of a pandemic at a level 1 trauma hospital. We talked about prayer and Scripture reading, church history and stories of saints who had lived during some difficult times. I started walking outside during lunch at the park across the street so I could get out of the artificial light and remember God’s creative Spirit.  

For the next 36 hours or so, I am going to try and remember that I can own my anxiety–it does not own me. I have strategies to employ during this anxiety-inducing election day and beyond. If you only hear me say one thing to you today, here it is: It is okay to be anxious. Fear is human. Normal. Do not ignore or bury those feelings. And you can always do something to remember God’s grace moved in too. Amen.