Can I Cope?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
ME: Jesus, You tell me to sit quietly with You and that is one of the hardest directives to follow. It isn’t easy for me to calm my mind and unplug from this crazy world.
JESUS: How well I know that! It is a discipline that takes practice.
ME: Why is this so difficult for me?
JESUS: As a mere human, your tendency is to worry about future things. You seem to project yourself into the next day, week, month, year, decade; and you visualize yourself coping badly in those times.
ME: I don’t get that carried away.
JESUS: Yes, you do! What did you say you wanted to do on your next anniversary…if you have the money? You are already believing you won’t be able to do it.
ME: Yikes! I guess my thoughts get carried away.
JESUS: What you are seeing is a false image, because it does not include Me. Did you stop to talk about this with Me?
ME: No, I meant to but…
JESUS: Stop…Those gloomy times that you imagine will not come to pass, since My Presence will be with you at ALL times. I said it and I meant it.
ME: I guess I need to share my thoughts with You more and wait for Your response before I worry.
JESUS: Are you not listening to Me? I’m trying to tell you that there is no need to worry at all because I am walking with you. However, given your humanness, when a future-oriented worry assails you, capture it and disarm it by suffusing the Light of My Presence into that mental image.
ME: I can hardly sit still in your Presence and You want me to do all this?
JESUS: Yes, because I know you are capable. Tell yourself, “Jesus will be with me then and there. With His help, I can cope!” When you finish affirming your security, come home to the present moment, where you can enjoy Peace in My Presence.
ME: I like the peace part.
JESUS: Good, you’re supposed to!
Mo Johnston with Sarah Young