I will be anxious for nothing

O ur church recently hosted an area-wide men’s gathering. As men from all over the county arrived, I did my best to greet as many as possible.

We exchanged names, what churches we attended, etc. After a table full of guys told me their names, I said I probably wouldn’t remember anyone’s, so to remind me if necessary.

So the next man offered his hand and said, “Clem Kadiddlehopper.”

“I’m sorry?” I asked. He laughed and told me his actual name, then said he had jokingly called himself “Clem Ka-diddle-hopper” because of my comment. I laughed and said that would probably be the only name I remembered.

It wasn’t the only name I recall from that night, but I don’t remember this man’s real name. I guess he will forever be Clem or Mr. Kadiddlehopper to me.

I used to stress so badly about forgetting things, not just names. I’d start the day by feeling anxious, trying to be sure I didn’t forget anything important. I’d check throughout the day to see if I’d missed anything, stomach churning and chest tightening from the anxiety. I’d finish the day wondering what I’d missed. Surely I missed something that was vitally important, and would wreck my job, relationships, etc. because I’d missed it.

Sometimes I would remember something and give a silent “Eureka!” as I wrote it down (finally) or tackled the task. Often I would not recall anything that needed to be done, and worry I had surely missed something.

Anxiety kills. Many times, I didn’t know if I was sick or not, because my stomach stayed in knots on a daily basis. I have GERD because my stomach produces approximately twice the acid it needs, so I definitely don’t need to add any anxiety (to my spicy foods addiction) that will anger the acids more.

As I have matured in life, I’ve “grown up” or aged mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and definitely physically. I’ve learned that I am anxious for no reason 98 percent of the times I allow myself to get that way. For the other 2 percent, no one has ever died, been injured, or anything permanent because I forgot to do something. Inconvenienced? Absolutely. Angered? You bet. But not irreparably.

I take lots of notes, ask trusted people to hold me accountable, have duplicate calendars in three locations; I control what I can and try not to be overly concerned about things I cannot control.

I do the best I can in the present moment. Often, that’s just fine. On the occasions that it is not, I try to make it right. As a Christ-follower, I know that the Bible tells me, “Be anxious for nothing,” meaning there’s no good reason to allow yourself to be taken in by anxiety. Some people cannot control it (I certainly don’t desire it), but we can resist it.

Don’t belittle anyone because they get anxious, but offer them reassurance and assistance. It all really will one day “be OK.”

I remember going to the doctor about 20 years ago with severe stomach pains. Turns out I was developing an ulcer, and my reflux was burning and damaging my throat. Along with the medicines the doctor prescribed, he asked about my mental well-being. He suggested that I trust the Lord to help me with my anxiety, and talk to someone to figure things out. He was right, and I have no idea what I was anxious about at that time. Whatever those problems were, they are long gone.

Whatever problems I have today will one day be long gone, too.

So, I’ll take a deep breath, check my calendar(s), sigh when I’ve missed something (like a project my boss reminded me of this morning), and get after it again. And I think I’ll lean into a statement I hear so many people say, and hope that they mean:

“I’m too blessed to be stressed.”

News editor Brett Campbell can be reached at brett.campbell@dailyleader.com.

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