Disclaimer: this is a transparent post I don’t feel qualified to make. Maybe God will use this hot mess…
You know those swirling thoughts, anxieties, fears, that stay on repeat in your mind? They mock you as they auto play. They overtake your mind. You can’t focus on what’s happening (probably the good stuff of life). They steal your peace, your joy.
That’s a pretty constant state of mind for me. One morning recently I woke up with this soundtrack screaming at me. I got up to put it on paper, brain dump. God stopped me with a yellow highlighter.
So what does God have for me?
(One of the benefits of the “corona schedule” has been time to read the actual Bible instead of getting a verse daily delivered to an app of my phone).
I had been reading through Ephesians, and the Armor of God flashed in my mind.
I went straight to my desk, determined not to let these thoughts ruin another day. I wrote them all down individually, stuck them in a jar.
I covered the jar of my incessant mental soundtrack with exactly what God does have for me:
His Mighty Power. Salvation. TRUTH. Prayer in the Spirit. FAITH. Righteousness (His, not mine!). PEACE.
JOY. I topped off the jar with my word of the year, also something about which I’m learning a whole new meaning.
I suppose I needed a physical representation and action to stop the mental cycle.
Once the thoughts were in the jar, covered by peace and joy, wouldn’t I be crazy to take them back out?
I’m learning to give these anxieties, frustrations, angry and negative thoughts, fears, to God, one little piece of paper at a time, and keep only what’s left on the outside of the jar. It’s been filled, dumped, repeat many times since, trust me.
So why share this? It’s my struggle, right?
Last Sunday my sister was over, venting a snippet from her swirling thoughts. I emptied my jar and gave it to her, briefly explaining. When she told me Ephesians 6:10-18 was in the morning’s message, I took it as a God thing. A week later, I still keep feeling that nudge to share further, so hopefully a little mason jar thought captivity will help someone else, too!
