"I'm Uncomfortable"

What are some things that make your skin crawl, your face to wince, or your stomach to turn like a washing machine? Dictionary.com defines the word "uncomfortable" as "1) causing discomfort or distress; painful; irritating. 2) in a state of discomfort; uneasy; conscious of stress or strain."

For me, being uncomfortable is any situation where I am outside of my comfort zone.

Over the years, I've become quite introverted. For the last five, I've been home schooled, which has allowed me to (for the most part) pick and choose who I want to see, where I want to go, and how uncomfortable I want to be. Because of this, whenever I was put in an uncomfortable situation, or I knew I was going to be in one at some point soon, I began having mild anxiety. My stomach would knot up so tight, and I would feel so excruciatingly lousy. Naturally, this made me want to retreat even more, participating in less and less activities.

I can't put my finger on the exact point in time it began to get easier to handle these types of situations, but I can say God was in the center of it the entire time - He was waiting for me to acknowledge and trust in Him.

Personally, I get stressed and anxious about the silliest things; in fact, it's difficult for me not to. So, in an effort to ease somebody's mind out there on the whole concept of stress, I've found a few verses that I pray help you in some way.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me."

John 14:1

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Proverbs 16:3 

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him."

Jeremiah 17:7

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:2-4

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends al understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

One thing to remember is that God's got it all under control. A song to help remind you of this is "Control" by JJ Heller. She sums up the whole "letting go" process quite perfectly.