Anxiety, Not a Death Warrant

Anxiety There is a stress that is brought upon a person from a source not of his own making. Also, there is a different self-born/inflicted type, though unplanned, yet avoidable. Since becoming an adult and finishing college, I have been jobless at least four times. Each period of unemployment caused stress, discomfort, and some anxiety. In the Spring of 1974, after resigning a position with a drug rehabilitation program, I had no idea what I would be doing next. I had been married less than two years, with a baby less than one year old. As I recall, the Lord being merciful to me, I was able to find employment in a relatively short period of time. In the Fall of 1974, I quit my job as a baker and moved some 600 miles to another state. The move became a source of anxiety. Nevertheless, I began to grow as a person and a christian. I have heard it said, "Nothing ventured; Nothing gained." In my early years, it seems that I was programed to take giant leaps of faith; but currently, not so much. Rain usually comes with a storm; and roses are surrounded by thorns. In Fall of 1978, yet again, I resigned a social program and moved to another state 2000 miles away. I have learned that adversity is good for me; and also that it is not good to drive while looking through the rear view mirror. In 2003, the company for which I worked for 25 years went out of business. It was not easy starting over at 54 years of age in an economy recovering from the pain of "911". In my view, anxiety does not have to be a death warrant, nor does stress signal a terminal illness. On the contrary, they may well be a warning for us to 'kick it' into another gear. 02242017 PS Contest, Anxiety, Lewis Raynes