And the Adventure Tripped

I was in my last semester of college with harder classes than ever before.

I had a painful ovarian cyst.

I was out of a job.

I was in a wreck which totaled my car.

I felt like I never had time alone since my Grandma moved in.

My parents were frustrated with my guy for not responding to an email they sent.

My guy thought they just wanted an argument and was avoiding making a reply.

I couldn't make either understand.

The scale stopped showing three digits.

If I went more than 24 hours without crying I felt I had accomplished something.

I was going crazy.


I finally talked to my best friend about it. She pointed out I was going through three of the biggest stressors in life: 1.) Finishing school 2.) Looking for a job 3.) Considering marriage.

"It's okay to feel stressed," she assured me.

I agreed. And with the acknowledgment that it was simply life, came the ability to stop beating myself up for losing control. I began to research natural ways to cope with stress.

I gave up caffeine. Got an audiobook to listen to on the drive to and from school. Set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. so I had plenty of time to read my Bible and journal every morning before school. Made sure to stay better in contact with my close friends and talk through my problems. And interestingly, switched back to listening to only Christian music.

The change was drastic. I became calm. At peace. Settled in the Lord's hands, knowing he was in control of every element of my life.

Even when our adventure tripped.

My dad had warned me he was going to pause our relationship if his email was not responded to quickly. I passed the info on. My guy didn't take it seriously. So our adventure was abruptly cut off.

God's peace covered me. I knew it would be taken care of one way or the other. They would work out their differences. And if for some reason they didn't, God was protecting me from a poor marriage. I am not denying I cried. I certainly did. Mostly because I was just sorry it had happened. Also, because I missed someone who had become one of my best friends. But I wasn't panicked or anxious.

"The talk" was scheduled quite quickly. I could tell, however, that my guy was still misreading the situation. He was furious and I couldn't explain my dad's reasoning in a way he was willing to see.

I ended up mentioning it vaguely to my oldest brother. Being the amazing man that he is, he offered to take time out of his incredibly busy work schedule and sit down with my Adventure Buddy. Coming from a neutral party and someone who is excellent at explaining things, it must have clicked for my guy. He relaxed during the discussion with my dad and I think they both enjoyed it.

At the end, he apologized to my dad for putting it off saying he hadn't wanted the argument he assumed it would be.

Later, he also apologized to me for the mess he had created. He was sincerely sorry for the tears and sleepless nights he had given me. And said it was all in his head. It hadn't been bad at all.

Fighting anxiety is not easy. It's not fun. It doesn't come naturally to me. But it must be done. And the rewards are worth it.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7