A Blessing for the Anxious

If you’re anything like me, it’s hard not to worry or feel anxious right now. With all that is currently going on in our world, I can try my best not to worry, but I still do…often. Sometimes so much that the impact is almost paralyzing. I am anxious and I am afraid, and I know that I am not the only one. So here is a blessing for the anxious this week…for you…for me. My hope is that it will bring a slice of calm to our hearts as we continue to face the journey of life, in this currently very worrisome world…

Blessed are the anxious, Those who are concerned with the problems of the world, Those whose hearts are heavy and burdened for their country, Their town, Their home, Their life. Blessed are those who aren’t sure how to make ends meet, Those who are fighting to provide for their family, Those who feel alone in their marriage, Those who are struggling to parent their kids well in these divisive times, Those who have just come out to their spouse, Those who leave home in attempt to forget their problems, Those who stay home in attempt to hide from their problems, Those who try to eat, drink, sleep, party, or starve their problems away, and those that watch Schitt’s Creek for comic relief.

Blessed are those who go to therapy. Blessed are those who need therapy but can’t afford it, And those who find alternative forms of what is therapeutic for them. Blessed are those who wonder if travel is safe right now, Those who fear a pandemic, Those who worry for the only loved ones that they have, Those who are chronically ill, disabled, or elderly and are at higher risk, Those who don’t have good healthcare and can’t afford the medication they need to feel even “okay” today, Those who work multiple jobs just to have meager benefits, And those who are brave enough to enter politics so that they can fight on these people’s behalf. Blessed are those who vote. Blessed are those who live in constant fear of what 45 has said or done today, Those who feel like their voice will never matter and their vote will never be enough, Those who wake up each day wondering whose rights have been revoked, Or what person of color was wrongly accused, Or how many children died in cages overnight, Or how many teens killed themselves due to lack of family acceptance, Or whether there has been another mass shooting in the last 12 hours, Or if their own family will even make it back safely to the dinner table tonight. Blessed are those who care enough to worry. Blessed are those who go off social media because the fire hose of worry just gets to be too much. Blessed are the underprivileged, the under-resourced, the under-appreciated, the overworked, the overtaxed, and the unnoticed. Blessed are those who keep fighting in the face of great adversity. Blessed are those who hold space for the brokenhearted, Those who go out of their way to ease the stress of others, Those who stay up late to take a call from a worried friend, Those who take time to text those they care about, And those who go above and beyond to love on those who lead. Blessed are those who check on their loved ones in the night,  Those who care for their elderly parents, Those who worry about where their kids will go to college, if they met curfew last night, and whether or not they are using protection.  Blessed are those who stand with the marginalized, Those who fight for equality for all even when they already have it for themselves, Those who use their privilege to help those without it, And those who keep their hearts open to learning and growing in areas that make them uncomfortable. Blessed are those who lose sleep at night worrying about some or all of these things, Those who grow weary in doing good…but still continue doing it anyway, For these are the fighters, the dream-chasers, the movers, the shakers, and the world-changers. And blessed are YOU. Whether your worries are big or small, Whether they simply pass through your mind or whether they threaten to completely engulf and overtake you… Remember that if you worry, it’s because you care. And because you care, you are helping make this world a better place. And for that, you are indeed, blessed.