If you’re like me, you worry too much. This morning, for a split second, I felt very relaxed. I woke up to the sound of rain dripping on the awnings outside, the smell that rain brings was blowing into my room, and for just a small second, I felt truly peaceful.

Then life slapped me in the face and my brain immediately went into think mode. I started worrying about emails, and how I lost my fantasy football game last night, and how am I going to get this work done, and why is the baby crying, and on and on and on…

I wish there were some magic button that we could use to put our brains into relax mode. I’ve always been a worry wart, even when I was a little kid, so there hasn’t been much of my life that I wasn’t stressing, but today, and the rain, reminded me of the last time I remember I was 100% relaxed and didn’t feel an ounce of stress.

Actually, oddly enough, it was when I was in the hospital, pregnant with my son. If you know my story, you know I spent a LONG time there, and this one particular day was probably about half way into my journey. I knew the baby was healthy, I knew I was healthy, and I was really just waiting at this point, to reach the goal date.

I was on bed rest so I couldn’t do much, but one of my little things I would do, was go to the window and open it, especially on rainy days, my favorite kind of day, and watch the activity outside.

It was mid-morning, the air was cool and crisp for Spring, and after checking out the people below, I grabbed my book (I was reading about the Johnstown Flood, and the rain made it all more real, really took me inside the book) and plopped down into bed. I pulled on a hoodie, opened the book and began to read. Within minutes, the church bells across the street began to ring, and I stopped to listen to them, as I did every day. But that day, it was the most beautiful sound, and I felt amazing.

I guess the combination of the rain, my book, the sound of the bells, the smell of the air, and the comfort of the small room I had made my own, for that day, was all I needed to feel relaxed.

I rarely have a second alone anymore, so I often miss those days in the hospital, or rather, miss the peace and the feeling of no responsibility but to be in that moment. Life is so busy, we are all wired for stress, we always have something on our minds. Today, find a way to get yourself into that relax mode, even if just for a short while.

We all need a break, a break from reality and anxiety, and from everything we have to do.
Even God gives us that advice…

Philippians 4:6
 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, relaxing day.