Anxiety, what’s that?!

I can remember it as clear as yesterday, I walked into the Paris train station, I walked up the stairs and bought a ticket. I was heading to London! Finally, my trip was almost over and I was almost home. There’s just one problem. I’m about to go into British land. And with that deal with some of the toughest customs in the world; it doesn’t help in my back pack I have a fake gun and a machete from Africa now does it? so I go through customs. And of course my bag goes through the X ray machine, before I know it I have four guards surrounding me asking me to follow them and off we go into a tiny room that can barely fit three people let alone five comfortably. We go through the whole talk, why do you have these items etc. and finally after much anxiety on my part and much joking on there part the French customs tell me I can go board my train, but that I might get the items taken away or I might be put in jail in London, GREAT! So I ask what I should do, now let me say, you would think being away form home traveling alone for more then 7 weeks I would be ok with trusting god but no, he still has to remind me. One of the guys says, “do you believe in God?” of course! “well pray then!” this was just a crazy thing to hear. But I still didn’t take it as a God moment. And so I hop onto my train.
The train rocks back and forth as I sit in my seat, the temperature is just right I sit there praying my head off till I fall asleep. I can hear what feels like each bolt and piece of metal tapping away at each other, as if to say I’m alive, even though I’m just a medal object I’m alive. I drift off and begin to dream. I wake up an hour later. And I begin to worry about the “weapons” in my bag. So I pray again, only this time a few minutes in I hear God: “Joel, why do you keep bringing this up? Did I not take care of you in Africa? Did I not watch over you in Italy and France? Why do you think I can’t watch over you know?” Have you ever had one of those moments were you just feel like an idiot before God? I had one of them moments. And man did I feel like an idiot. I mean come on, I stood ten feet from a live hippo and God protected me. And I am worried about custom agents? Sheesh, aren’t I just a genius!
Every once and awhile we fall into this anxious thought process, we get worried, how am I going to pay my bills? How am I going to raise the money I need. And then we go to God and yak his year off about our issues! And we completely forget who we are talking to. We are talking to GOD! I mean he created the heavens and the Earth. And we are worried about paying a hundred dollar bill, or putting gas in the car, or about finding the one? He controls the weather. He controls all the money in the world. and you think he can’t deal with our tiny issues? The other day I was so frustrated with my life I locked my self in a room and I started to complain to God, but something in me told me to be silent for a minute. When I was I began to hear God, you know what he said. “Joel, no more talking till later in the day tomorrow.” I’m dead serious. God told me not to talk! Talk about rough! Its not easy being around people and not being able to speak. But God taught me something in those 20ish hours, he taught me to listen. I think this is something we all need to learn; when we get stressed or worried we need to learn to take our problems to God but also learn to listen to what he is saying in that situation. Then we will grow, and then we will find peace that passes understanding. So when you get hit by anxiety or stress or fear or what ever, go to God but don’t spend an hour talking and telling him your issues, spend a few minutes telling him your problems, then let his peace flow and listen to what he’s saying. You will be surprised just how amazing these little moments can be!