Stress is draining. It takes all of our energy, our focus, and just makes us feel almost useless.
When we are stressed we lose our focus on what we are stressed about and focus on how our stress is causing more stress. We take bubble baths, watch movies, put on face masks, we do whatever it takes to make our stress go away and often times it never does.
Lou Holtz says "it's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." Our stress is so draining because we don't know how to carry it. We look at all these tips and tricks on how to organize our lives, we have Pinterest boards devoted to relaxation and healthy living, but when we get stressed we honestly don't know what to do.
There is no cure for stress.
Or is there?
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
Our trials, seen in the right way, can produce joy. Our trials bring us perseverance and the fact that we can face one and then face another, and another after that is truly magnificent. Yes, stress is draining, but how often do we look at a road filled with green lights and say "wow all of those green lights really helped strengthen my patience"? No, we learn patience through getting red lights or getting stuck behind slow drivers when we're in a rush.
Everyone knows that stress kills joy, but when we look at stress from the end rather than the beginning or being stuck right in the middle it changes everything. It makes us think, it forces us to be uncomfortable, and best of all once we're through it there is always joy.
Stress drains us, but it also challenges us. It grows us and allows us to see that we are capable of doing more and being more. As Thanksgiving comes, we can be thankful for the hard times because we know they bring goodness.