Chapter Three | The Diagnosis | Day Fifteen by Lela Jefferson

I read having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver over the summer. A book I now highly recommend for all women, young and old to read. I have been actually sharing my findings as I journey through the accompanying Bible Study Mrs. Weaver placed at the end of the book on my blogs. Here is the latest question I studied out and gave commentary on.

Questions for Discussion or Reflection – Day Fifteen

2) According to Dr. Edward Hallowell, over half of us are chronic worriers. Which of the ten signs of a big worrier on page 33 do you struggle with? How do worry and anxiety spill over into your daily life and affect your behavior? Your physical health?

Ten Signs of a Big Worrier

Is worrying a problem in your life? Dr. Hallowell says it might be if these worry signs are true about you:

1) You find you spend much more time in useless non constructive worry than other people you know.

2) People around you comment on how much of a worrier you are.

3) You feel that it is bad luck or tempting fate not to worry.

4) Worry interferes with your work – you miss opportunities, fail to make decisions, perform at lower than optimal level.

5) Worry interferes with your close relationships – your spouse and/or friends sometimes complain that your worrying is a drain on their energy and patience.

6) You know that many of your worries are unrealistic or exaggerated, yet you cannot seem to control them.

7) Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by worry and even experience physical symptoms such as rapid breathing, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, or trembling.

8) You feel a chronic need for reassurance even when everything is fine.

9) You feel an exaggerated fear of certain situations that other people seem to handle with little difficulty.

10) Your parents or grandparents were known as great worriers, or they suffered from an anxiety disorder.

Search me O God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting – Psalm 139:23 – 24

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Personally I believe all of us have some areas and have had times in our lives where we have worried over people, places or things that we should had turned over to God. I know for me, I have a tendency to either over analyze a thing or want something to be so prefect that I fail to even start on a project I know. I should be doing. Praise God, he is helping me in that area by bringing the right people and influences across my path and I am willing enough to accept their counsel vs. being offend by it.

2009’s I speak by faith and see by my actions strongholds are not being carried over into this New Year. Missed blessings or opportunities are not an option. I have cleaned out my inner ear to hear more clearly from God. In turn, I have begun the process of removing the waxes sort of speak of distractions, either externally or internally created.

To be continued… I welcome your comments!

The previous article can be found here.