Clicking Through Life

 Have you seen the movie, "Click"?  I was thinking about it today as I reflected on some patients I saw this week with anxiety.  So many of us have anxiety over activities in our lives, even good activities.  We may be happy, but they make us nervous just the same.  Some people I know say that this movie depresses them, as it really does have some sad elements to it, but I find it has a very good moral to the story. 

Basically, the main character stumbles upon a remote control that actually affects his life.  He can fast forward over the bad things in life, such as arguments with his wife, being sick, etc., and can mute the dog when he's barking, and pretty much control the many things in life he considers an annoyance or bother.  Well, that would be all well and good except the remote learned his personal preferences, so automatically fast forwarded the same types of things in the future.  This caused him to lose years off his life, for instance when he had cancer for a few years and the remote had it programmed to fast forward when he's sick.  Yes, he missed out on the pain and suffering from the cancer, but he missed a few years of watching his children grow up.

It made me realize that life is a journey, and while there are some unpleasant things along the way, it is better to endure those than to miss out on all the blessings that occur as well.

Someone once told me she attempted to take her life because she missed someone she loved who died so much that she couldn't bear the pain anymore.  Then she realized that it was selfish, and had she been successful in taking her own life, she would have cascaded that pain to the many who knew her and would now have to face the loss of that loved one plus her.

Rather than escape your pain and sorrows and suffering in 2016, why not face your fears and anxieties, and hold God's hand through it.  "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you", 1 Peter 5:7.  Again, in Psalm 37:5: "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."  Philippians 4:6: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

If there are some skills you can acquire to alleviate some of your insecurities, then why not learn those.  Face that fear and conquer it!  If it's doing a procedure, or driving in bad weather, or finding a job, whatever it may be, face it head on and stomp out that crippling fear.  If you are dreading something that is coming up, perhaps plan some things ahead of time so you will feel organized and prepared, and perhaps the transition will be smoother.  Maybe you have some bad habits or need to lose weight.  Take small steps in the right direction, steps that are not too overwhelming, and it will encourage you to keep going and eventually you will step over the victory line of success!

Anxious about anything? Bring it before the Lord, and change your perspective.  Yes, you are in some rough waters ahead.  So grab a life jacket and enjoy the beauty of the water and the sky and your time with friends and loved ones.  There are blessings mixed in with your pain...just open your eyes and find those gems.