The word “trigger” or its variations is used more than ever; it’s never a good thing. We have so much stimulation and input combined with a big problem. We don’t realize that we can, and must be responsible for our souls. For every cancer patient or former cancer patient, the fear of “What if” is very real. Before being diagnosed, I lived in denial of my symptoms being cancer. When I was diagnosed, I became hyper-vigilant about every pain or symptom. At this time in our troubled world, if you study Biblical prophecy or even know a little about history and civics, getting caught up in the “symptoms” of peril is too easy. The King of Kings can and does give us peace that passes understanding, but sometimes we need to parent our souls to be in the position to receive.
Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother,
Psalm 131:2
My soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent].
The Whatevers
Psalm 131:2 provides a beautiful picture of a weaned child resting in a mama’s arms at peace. Distracted by the cruelty on our screens, we don’t recognize that God wants to feed us a steady diet of his love. A constant barrage of reminders of stress, worries, and things that make us angry take us out of those peaceful soul moments. When we find ourselves overwhelmed and triggered, that’s a sign that we need to parent our souls. The first step is to put aside the stimulants, and the next sign is to place our focus on him. God guides us to focus on what I call the “Whatevers.”God lays out a path to peace that includes a healthy mental and emotional diet in Philippians 4:8*.
Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
Philippians 4:8
What’s In Our Power
I saw a clip of Radhi Devlukia Shetty where someone asked her why she’s so happy and said she minds her own business. Radhi isn’t a Christian, she’s Hindu, but like many others, she’s found a secret to protecting her happy countenance. It is to mind our own business; this one is hard for me. I’m a recovering infoholic. While it’s paramount to stay informed and involved (whether it be what your doctors say or what’s happening in the world), we should understand our place in the world’s problems. We can only do what’s in our power, like pray, vote, write our representatives, volunteer, and give to help others. However, when we’ve done it all, it’s time to realize that when we are full of care, we need to narrow our focus on what we can do.
Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Psalm 131:1
Or in things too difficult for me.
Hope and Humble Pie
To live in peace, our hope must be in the Lord. Our abilities, politicians, pastors, or the media all make waves, but it doesn’t always go our way. I remind myself that worry about cancer returning. It’s too much for me. That is out of my control; I work on weaning myself off those thoughts and climbing upon his spiritual lap and finding comfort. It takes a lot of practice but becomes easier the more I do it. * It’s our responsibility to do what we can, protect our health, speak up, vote, have our voices heard, and bring God to this damaged world. However, we must leave the results in God’s hands, or we will drive ourselves crazy. Let yourself be loved by the creator of your soul.
O Israel, hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forever.
Psalm 131:3
