Most days, panic feels louder than peace. It speaks first, plans for the worst, and convinces you that staying alert is the same as staying safe.
But peace has been trying to get a word in. And it has something important to say.
Panic: What if it all falls apart?
Peace: What if it doesn’t?
If you keep worrying, you’ll miss your actual life.
– Jacqueline Whitney
Panic: But I have to prepare for the worst.
Peace: You’ve been preparing for the worst for years. It’s exhausted you. And the worst still hasn’t come.
Panic: I need to stay alert.
Peace: You need to stay alive. There’s a difference.
Panic: If I stop worrying, I’II be blindsided.
Peace: If you keep worrying, you’ll miss your actual life.
Panic: But I’m just trying to protect us.
Peace: You’re not protecting us. You’re keeping us braced. There’s nothing to protect against right now. Right now we’re okay. Right now we’re safe. Right now is the only place we actually live.
Panic: I don’t know how to stop.
Peace: You don’t have to stop all at once. Just give me a little more room. Trust me with this moment. Then the next. Then the next.
Panic: Okay. I’ll try.
Peace: That’s all I’m asking.
Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.
