Quick One-Line Prayers for Stressful Situations

Most of us realize that when finances get tight, nerves are raw and arguments erupt with household members. For years, I have tried to deal with this through prayer. Unfortunately, I always think of prayer after the fact.

This morning, I guess stress levels were extremely high. Even before breakfast, words were heated and loud. Tigger scooted away - he doesn't like "loud." In a way, Tigger's stress always helps to de-stress me - I immediately realize I have let myself get out of control and I try to immediately simmer down. Sometimes this means walking back and forth through the mobile home, talking to myself, but slower and calmer at each step.

Still, I wish I were one of the few people I've known in my life who could think before they spoke. I truly have only known less than half a dozen. I could see them taking a moment before they opened their mouths. Oh, what a blessing that would be for me.

Meanwhile, weak human that I am, I have to rely on prayer. Prayer does help me, even if only afterwards. I have two favorite one-line prayers I wrote for myself, for times like this, and I'll share them here. I say them at least three times in a row, and by the time I've finished the third repetition, I can feel myself relaxing and trying to get the situation under control.

Here they are:

1 - Heavenly Father up above, fill my heart with peace and love.

2 - Clear my mind of useless thoughts; guide my thoughts and words this day.

Father, enough said. I ask only that you remind me a bit more often that you are there for me and will help me so that I can de-fuse a situation rather than inflame it.

Worrying about Worry - Prayer is the Answer

I had planned to write about something else today, but for some reason, "worry" and "prayer" kept coming back to my mind. Then I saw an email from Guideposts. I have signed for a few of their regular inspirational emails. I have always loved Norman Vincent Peale's attitude.

Today, one verse in their Power of Prayer email caught my eye:
Let not your heart be troubled. John 14:1

I clicked a link in that email and was led to a page that I have to share with you. I'm sure that on this page, each of you will find at least one thought to help you through whatever troubles you are currently worried about.

Mostly, I wrote this one for me, too, today. Our household might finally be on a smoother financial path, but the way is still rocky and I stumble and fall when I worry. I do have faith, but I also fret.

When I worry, I freeze and then I get nothing accomplished. Prayer is my answer, my solution. When I pray, I am taking action. Whether my prayer is answered in the way I hope, or whether God just tells me to relax while he works on the issue, at least I have moved along. Moving along is what I am aiming for.

Dearest Lord, thank you for all the people in the world who, like me, believe in you and trust in you. Together, we prove that there is hope in our world and hope for our world. Meanwhile, help me to remember that I am not alone in my troubles and that mine are not the worst. Bless us all, those who believe in you, and especially those who do not.

Brent's Post: Is Jesus a Liar? Do NOT Worry!

I found a great post tonight, the long way around. I was posting on FaceBook about something or other, and scrolled down through the other items in the News Feed. I saw Brent's mention of his latest post to Serious Faith. I went to his blog and took a look.

I am so glad that I did. I do not want to spoil it for you by saying too much. He says it far better than I could at this point.

If you are stressed about anything at all in your life right now, do yourself a favor and hop over to this post and treat yourself to a "faith pill."

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving your life as an example to us of what real stress is all about. Thank you, also, for teaching us how to deal with it.

Finding Relief from Fear through Prayer

While checking the stats for these posts, I noticed that a few folks had sought one that I had made last year about God's protection. This surprised me, and I couldn't remember it all, so I had to read it again for myself. It still seems very relevant to my life today.

Thinking along those lines, I realized that I can always find relief from my fears by praying. I found a bible verse I like:
Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

These days, those fears are related to financial woes. Today I had to call three utilities - gas, electric, and phone, for extensions. Two of them do not make arrangements until the Final Disconnect notice is sent. Needless to say, I was really worried about these calls. I've been praying about this rather steadily.

I stalled today, most of the day, holding off the inevitable. Finally, around 3 pm, I made the calls. They were surprisingly patient and willing to work with me.

Now, this does not mean I am out of the woods. It just means I do not have to pay them anything this week. Oh, well, except for the electric bill but I have until Friday to figure out how to come up with that.

The point is, when I turn it over to the Lord, he does hear me and banish my fears. For a while (sigh). My job, as I see it, is to trust him even more than I do right now. I know from experience that it always, always works out, but in his time, not mine.

Holy Father, thank you for helping me ease my fears today. As always, I am still worried about how things will work out later this week, and the following weeks. Please fill me with all the grace I need to get through these troubling times, and remind me of how many times you have solved my problems in the past.

Charity Crafting as a Stress Buster

Many times, I have posted about the therapeutic effect of a crafting hobby. Mostly, I write about how crafts ease tension and reduce stress.

In some cases, they can create stress. That is sort of a joke and isn't meant to be taken the wrong way. I'm referring to my overseeing a group of charity crafters every Friday morning for the past 2+ years. This week has been wicked for me, loaded with worry. My crocheting and other crafts have helped reduce the stress and clear my head at times. But I am not looking forward to going over tomorrow morning. I do not feel like being cheery.

I have no choice. I initiated the group. I oversee the group. I collect the things we have made, each week, and every couple of months, I run around town and drop off to the various places we have chosen for our regular donations.

Tomorrow, one of our ladies is bringing in a box of things her friend made for us. Her friend had been visiting last month and saw what our gal was doing, went home and did likewise. Our gal lives here in Vegas and her friend is in Florida. Our gal just received a box containing her friend's contribution: 14 preemie hats, 2 preemie blankets, 5 iris shawls and 4 winter adult hats. This is thrilling, to think that this woman, who never even met the rest of us, is so kind as to do this for others.

So, even though my heart and energy level is not into this for tomorrow, I must get over there. And, for those two hours, I am certain that my mind will be off my other troubles, while we enjoy knowing that there are good, giving, charitable people in this world. So, taking the long way around, even this is a stress-reducer in its own way!

Crafts and Stress Relief

Aside from the reason I mentioned in yesterday's post about repetition in crafting being a key factor in stress relief, there's also the fact that when crafting, you need to focus on the item you are making. You take your mind off your worries, whether you expect to or not, unconsciously, while you pay attention to the pattern, or the design, or the project, or color choices, whatever.

During that time, you give your mind, and heart, and even your tense body, a rest from your troubles. Stress tenses all these areas in your life: mind, heart, body, soul. Crafting takes your mind off your troubles, while helping you feel good about yourself by what you are doing.

If you are making the item for a gift, you are producing a warm fuzzy for a friend, relative, loved one. If you are crafting for a charity project, you are doing a noble work. And if you are doing it for some side money, you are performing a worthwhile task.

No matter how you look at it, crafting helps to relieve your stress.

Crafting: The Ultimate Stress-Buster

When I first began the Crafts area of my blog, I posted often about the favorable effects of crafting. Mostly, I crochet. I also do a little plastic canvas work, some minor beadwork, and even a little paper folding (my dollar bill shirts). Crochet is the most soothing and therapeutic for me.

There is an enormous benefit in what I call the "rhythm of the stitches." This happens also with any craft work that requires repetition: knitting, needlepoint, weaving, plastic canvas, cross stitch, etc. Sculptors often talk about the soothing effect of the feel of clay taking shape in their hands.

During times of great stress, there is a calmness and serenity that envelopes me when I pick up a hook and yarn or thread, and begin. When I posted in my blog's early days about this, a dear friend, Sylvia, commented on one post that she, too, felt that in her college days when she enjoyed weaving.

I heartily encourage folks to take up a craft to ease their minds and hearts during stressful times. For those who do not know what craft to start with, there are websites with many free craft ideas, and you can easily browse their projects and pick a few different types of crafts, to find the right "fit." I suggest the following to start:

http://www.craftbits.com/
http://www.favecrafts.com/

Both of these sites have projects for kids, too. I often suggest folks who do not know what to start with, start with a child's project, then move on up.

These sites are also great places to find recycling craft ideas - what a great duo: stress-busting and recycling!

In addition to taking your mind off your troubles for the time you are working on the project, you are also making something useful: a gift, a product to sell, a treat for you or your home.

As a stress-buster, crafting can't be beat. I remember my mother sitting up for hours after we three kids went to bed, back in the 40s. She had a lot of troubles back then - financial, emotional (my daddy drank heavily), and more. Still, when she picked up her crochet hook or knitting needles, or sat to her sewing machine, she was able to relieve her stress, and often ended up humming to herself, at peace for that moment in time.

It's no secret - as a stress-buster, crafting cannot be beat.

Frogging

The Internet has spread many new words to the ends of the earth. Craft-wise, one that I love to use is the word Frog. I first heard, or rather, saw, this word in connection with knitting and crocheting in internet craft groups.

Crafters use it when they unravel a word in progress when stitches have gone wrong. It doesn't matter whether it is 7 stitches or 77 stitches, when they unravel, they Frog it. It means to rip out stitches, and it refers to the way a frog sounds, "ribbit, ribbit, ribbit." I just love that.

Ripping out stitches used to be a hassle. Now it's humorous, fun, and productive. I tend to be more willing to rip out stitches to correct an error now that I think of it as "frogging."

The reason I thought about this today is because of something that happened yesterday morning. During our Friday morning 2-hour session of "charity crafters," a community resident passed through our clubhouse. He noticed our crocheting and said it reminded him of when his wife was alive. He started making motions showing how she looked crocheting. First he gestured as though using a crochet hook and invisible yarn. Suddenly he stopped, and started making motions of someone ripping out the stitches just made. We all laughed. Any knitter or crocheter knows that drill.

Errors can require frogging for many reasons. It's not always the work of the knitter or crocheter. Sometimes it is in the way the directions are written, or the weight or type of yarn used. No matter what the reason, if we are making a handcrafted item, it's not worth our effort unless we do it right. Frogging may seem tedious or annoying to onlookers, or even funny, as it did to that fellow yesterday morning. But it is necessary so that we end up with something worth our time, love, and labor.

Relieving Soul Stress

I never close my eyes in bed to final sleep for the night until I thank the Lord for something or other that happened during the day. Some nights, I have to really think back over the day. I can always find something. I began to do this a year or two ago, and I love this habit that brings closure to some stressful days.
Many nights, the thank-you offers are for very simple things. Tonight, for example, I will be thankful for the upcoming rains we are expected to get this coming week, so badly needed in our area. I can even smell it in the air tonight.

I will probably also be thankful for a good, basic, cheap, but very welcome dinner tonight - plain and simple marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts, sautéed in the marinade, plain old mashed potatoes (old, is right - I had to remove two or three "eyes" from each one when peeling them) but delicious with their dollop of butter and splash of milk, and canned sliced red beets. For some odd reason, both my middle-aged nephew and I really dove in and enjoyed it.

I also found out today that I have no viruses on my computer even though I've been worried about it. I almost downloaded AVG which is highly recommended when my neighbor, my computer guru, mentioned Windows Defender, which I had but didn't have set to scan on a regular basis. Scans showed no troubling "bugs." Defender, however, made it very easy for me to delete some stuff that was robbing my system of its memory.

This news about my PC makes me thankful, also, for email and how easy it is to keep in touch with friends, both actual (those I have met in person) and virtual (those I only know through the internet).

What else? What else? There might be another thing or two before I close my eyes. This routine helps offset the stress and strain of all that is on my plate each day. Hot showers ease the stress of my body; this mental thank-you practice eases the stress on my soul.

Father, thank you for being there to listen, and thank you for being patient when I should be thanking you for far more than I manage to recall.

De-Stressor

Several times in the past year and a half of blogging, I've mentioned how crafting eases and releases stress. Tonight, I was terrified because my PC was growling and snarling. When I finally turned it off and ran away, where did I run? Straight to the living room for my crochet hook and faithful tub of yarn.

After a while, what I call the "rhythm of the stitches" soothed me and de-stressed me. At that point, because Faith is part of my entire being at this point of my life, I prayed. Oh, I prayed hard. Finally, I went back in, turned it on, and it was okay. For now.

Of course, I had made some promises in that prayer-time, and I must keep to them. But the main thing is that if I did not have the crochet hook ready and waiting, I might have kept the PC on even longer, worrying and not accomplishing anything. I might have not heeded the need to give my PC a rest. I must have it looked at, so I must baby it for a while until then.

We who busy ourselves with our crafts, no matter what that craft is, are truly blessed. Working with our hands eventually calms our souls enough to find a way to deal with stress. Mindlessly working the stitches or patterns, we free our mind for the solutions to surface. How great is that?

A Blessed Nap

Sleep. How wonderful it is. I used to pray for "just an hour's nap" to refresh myself during my hectic days. I realized after a while that, quite often, God merely grants me fifteen minutes, or a half hour, but often that is just right, just enough. My sister used to call it "re-charging."

Late this afternoon, I hit an unexpected bonus in my day. I managed to take a shower at 3:50pm, a rare time of the day but I felt I really needed to wash some stress down the drain. Immediately after, for some odd reason, I flopped onto the recliner, put up the footrest, and promptly fell sound asleep.

Forty-five minutes later, I woke up. I felt more refreshed and more at peace than I have in many months. I don't know why. Instead of questioning it, as I normally would, I thanked God right away. I was blessed and I knew it.

It doesn't mean I won't be stressed again tomorrow, or the whole rest of the month. What it does mean is that God blessed me for that wonderful period of time, for exactly how long he knew I needed it.

I think I am cured of asking him for a specific length of time. I simply need to trust him to give me what I need, when I need it.

Father, thank you, with all my heart and soul, for that simple but wonderful gift, that blessed nap, today.

Women from Venus, Thank the Lord

One of the hardest things for me to deal with, regarding the differences between men and women, is the way we each vent or de-stress.

I can't count how often I have just "talked to myself," or made idle chit-chat with a guy (related or co-worker or whatever), and he seems to feel it is something he has to "fix." He'll try to take over the situation, tell me what I should do, as if I didn't already go through his suggestions in my own head a long while back. Most times, I'm just letting it "go," just getting it out of my head, and out of the way, whatever it is that I am saying or venting.

Men, however, build up the stress because they do not know how to do that. Which, I suppose, is why men know how to throw a punch and I do not (although sometimes I wish I did know how - LOL).

I remember something Ray Bradbury, the sci-fi author and futurist, said to our writer's group in southern CA back in the 80s. He was speaking about women. He said that he felt very much in tune with women who wanted equal pay for equal work. However, he begged us women to resist trying to be like men in other ways. He said that women have a way of taming down a man, of softening his worse traits. If we become like men in aggression, in anger, and in many other ways, then, he said, "May God help this world." He had a strong point.

Dear God, fill me with the grace to resist any urge to change the gentler side of my character, and give me the patience to deal with men who want me to change.

When Time Flies

I can't believe a week has gone by without my posting a single entry. Life really does whiz by at times. It hasn't been a bad week. Like everyone on this planet, there were times when I was a bit worried or stressed. Well, maybe I was a LOT worried and/or stressed at times (LOL). But prayer, as always, managed to pull me through. I am always amazed at how slow I am to pray. Many times, I could be a lot less tense if I would pray just a bit sooner during situations.

I love to look back at what appeared to be "bad" days or moments, and see how the issues were resolved with God's help. More and more often, I find myself whispering a really fast, but heartfelt, "Thank you, God."

When a day is filled with problems, I find my prayers are really short and to the point. Back when I wrote the prayers that became my Busy Person's Prayer Book, I noticed that I needed quick and easy prayers. If I do not have a prayer in mind, I frequently just wing it. "Father," I'll say, "I really need help on this one. I don't know what to do next. Show me how you want me to handle this." Or, I'll say something like, "I am really scared this time, frightened about how this situation is turning out. Please help me find a happy outcome." Or, even simpler, "I know you trust me to take care of this, but I need you to show me the next step."

Lots of times, things are straightened out more quickly than I expect, and I find myself rushing through a Thank You prayer. Far too often, I forget that Thank You, so at night, before I sleep, I whisper an all-inclusive prayer, "Thank you for all that you have helped me with today, especially those things which I took for granted."

Dear God, please send me the grace to continue to come to you when I need your help, and thank you for promising to help us whenever we ask for that help.

Faith - The Great De-Stresser

A kind follower of this blog posted a comment about yesterday's post and seemed concerned about my inner turmoil. Trust me, folks, I am just fine. It's facing these daily issues squarely and praying about them that keeps me sane. If I did not have Faith to lean on, I don't know how I'd make it. I don't know how anyone makes it in today's world without Faith.

My life is not bad at all, compared to so many others who I know. I worry about a lot of people who do not have an outlet for their tension and their worries. I had a friend long ago who used to worry that I was "beating myself up" by reflecting on what went wrong and how I might have done it differently.

That was not a problem for me. I do not dwell on those things for long. Only long enough to consider the pros and cons, the solutions revealed by hindsight, take some moments to pray about the issue, and then move on.

In my Busy Person's Prayer Book, I have a few two-line prayers. One of them is:

Two or three minutes; that's a lot
Then it's time to get off of the pity pot.

You have no idea how often that little tiny prayer helps me put some stability back into my life.

It's true that some folks have trouble letting go when they begin to reflect on something they may have done wrongly (that's not the right word, but it works for me). They torment themselves. With Faith, however, once we reflect, and pray for future guidance and help, we can easily move forward.

Dear God, thank you so much for being there whenever I need you, and for your generosity in continuing to forgive me, and continuing to offer your guidance; please open my heart and ears that I may take advantage of that help.

Over-Reactions

I always regret not posting every night. Posting to this part of my blog de-stresses me. It gives me a chance to reflect on my day and see where it could have gone better had I gone to the Lord in prayer, or see where it went well because I did remember to pray.

Today was not a good one, stress-wise. I was not wise and I let it build up. There were heated words in the household, and I hate it when I sound shrill or when I let the situation cause me to react in a way I could have avoided. If I had just taken one moment when the first words made me tense, agitated, and edgy, I could have probably avoided an argument. Arguments rarely solve problems. In my experience, they only add to them.

I have a prayer in my Busy Person's Prayer Book that I wrote just for these occasions. Of course, that prayer is for "someone who baits me." People do not always intend to push our agitation-buttons. But when they do, we have a choice. I could have said a quick prayer and asked the Lord to help me calm down. Instead, I just allowed the moment, and the next moment, and the next, to wash over me in waves of agitation.

I have no way of knowing if I had posted the past few days whether I could have avoided my reaction this afternoon. But, again, in my experience, the more I am in the moment of the Lord, with him, and filled with him, the more I can shrug off these stressful confrontations.

I am the one who benefits most when I reflect on the day and where I placed God in it. I benefit by keeping my stress level way down. I must remember that more often, and stop neglecting this post. For others, instead of a post, they might choose a journal entry. Or, for many others, a few moments of quiet thought and reflection at the end of the day will work. Whatever works for each of us, it helps us to keep God in our hearts always.

Father, forgive me for not coming to you more often these past few days, and forgive my outbursts today. Help me, please, to come to you as soon as I feel the tension building, so you can comfort me and counsel me as to how you wish me to react.

Charity Crafting - Every Little Bit Helps

Our local senior mobile home community's charity crafting group only meets once a week, for two hours. We have five people, but only four show up at most. Most weeks, it's only one to three. In spite of that, we are slowly but steadily accumulating a wonderful stash of items for preemies, homeless, and nursing homes.

Last Friday was the ultimate in surprises. One gal, who only showed up the first day, back in April, has not ever had a chance to join us since. Yet Friday, she stopped by, in a hurry, as always (I'll explain in a moment), and left me an amazing stash. I haven't counted, but it looks like about 3 dozen preemie caps, about that many preemie shirts, and a little blankie! She said she works on them on nights when it's hard to sleep.

This was a "lady marine" in her past. She is extremely busy with volunteer work for the veterans. She has a group that conducts a service at the local veteran's cemetery every Saturday, in full dress uniform. In addition, she has many, many projects she handles for various veteran's causes. The fact that she slowly, gently accumulated these for our group is amazing. And it shows that little by little, we end up with a lot.I'm so grateful, Peggy! Thank you.

Charity Crafting

The Friday meeting of our local charity crafters was just me this week. One gal is traveling, one is ill, and the other was working a housecleaning spot. Even with only four of us, we have accumulated quite a few things between April 3 and now - that’s only 13 meetings, two hours each, and we already have the following... actually, we have even more because I have only counted their offerings, and have not yet included my own.

42 pair fingerless gloves for homeless
17 preemie hats and 17 preemie shirts
15 preemie booties
11 shawls and capelets for nursing home residents

I can’t wait until we can start handing them out. A friend from a crafting group is designated “charity afghan square joiner” and she just finished joining donated 12” squares and gave them to a hospital that is similar to the St. Jude children centers - she’s given them over a dozen so far, I think, and it is amazing.

Just a little here and a little there and it all adds up over a little time. What a wonderful feeling there is in doing these for the needy.

Stress-Busters

I’m glad I have not yet split my blogs. This one would have to be posted once to Prayer Power and once to Crafts. It belongs in both. It’s about stress, faith, fear, and how busy hands can make it easier to deal with all of those.

We all have stress and fears and worries. Some are financial, like the ones my nephew and I faced last night. Yours are likely to be different (family, illness, abuse, others I’ve listed below).

Briefly, we thought he finally had a firm job offer, a good one, and would be at work this morning. That word had arrived late Thursday. Finally, last night, after futile attempts to contact the contact man to determine starting time, what to wear, etc., we had to admit that, since he had already told us he had not passed his choice through his own superior, his boss must have had a favorite choice that canceled this deal out. We had been frozen from Sunday morning on, finding it next to impossible to concentrate on anything at all.

Frank has no hobbies, so he found other “busy” work - he walked his middle-aged but arthritic legs off fast-walking in our mobile home community, and then hauling out the plug-in shredder and having me toss him piles of stuff we needed to shred. Me, I noticed little balls of scrap yarn and grabbed all the green and tans (many shade variations of those, as it turns out) and began making 12” granny squares for a Yahoo Group that has a Charity Afghan drive in process. We got a lot done - Frank got exercise, we ended up with a lot of shredding, and I have half a dozen squares with green/tan/black. Today, since I’m not at all sure I am back to normal, I’ll start on some raspberry/tan/off-white/burgundy squares. To be truthful, these look so good I will have to force myself to donate them.

Bottom line - when stressed or worried or full of fear, keep the hands busy. It’s something the older generation used to teach us kids during the 40s. Your stress or fear or worries might not be financial as ours are right now, but you might be facing illness (yourself, a loved one), family troubles (troubled youngster, wayward spouse), physical or mental abuse, or more. You might not have a hobby, but you can brush the dogs and cats until their fur comes off; you can work that rock garden outside until the rocks shine, you can, well, you get the drift. Keep the mind busy and you won’t be as likely to drift into frozen self-pity. Not only that, but the routine, mindless activity calms the mind and soothes the soul; solutions often appear; even better, peace creeps in.

Thank you, Lord, for the outlets you give to each of us, each unto our own needs and abilities.

Craft-less Days

Sometimes I can go for several days without picking up a hook or needle. The first day, it is not a concern. I almost do not even notice it. The second day, I feel a sense of loss. I feel as though I’m missing a part of me. By the third or fourth day, I really miss working on my crafting projects.

I realize that life gets in the way of all our plans. When that happens, stress happens. The funny thing is that when I pick up a hook and begin crocheting, the stress slowly seeps out of my system. I don’t need to work for long. Even twenty minutes can soothe me.

So why do I cheat myself of this cheap and easy relaxation therapy? I think I need to have more projects ready to go. I might start a WIP bag or bucket or whatever. Even if it’s just little things like gift bookmarks, or squares for an afghan, or baby booties for a charity, if I keep it all at the ready-to-go stage, I can simply pick it up and work it at odd times.

So the answer, then, for me, is to make sure I have it packed and ready. It is so foolish of me to neglect this easy source of comfort and relaxation.

Please, Dear God, bless me with the fortitude I need to set up a few projects that I can work with at a moment’s notice, to soothe my troubled spirit with the work of the hands you have blessed me with.