Tha pandemic seems to have stressed out the entire world.
From avoiding it to surviving it, from trying to escape it to trying to live with it, we seem to have been given all sorts of advice, and nothing is quite clear, other than we are fed up with it and want it to be gone.
This type of ongoing upheaval and uncertainty naturally stresses us. And, not knowing when the end will be also causes anxiety. So how do we live with this?
Recently, I read some great tips shared years ago by Nona Freeman.
Who was Nona Freeman? She and her husband were the first United Pentecostal Church International missionaries to South Africa. They served there for 41 years, returning to the United States every five to seven years to raise funds. She lived from 1916 to 2009. (Wikipedia)
Nona spread the gospel of Jesus Christ for over 70 years as a preacher, speaker, columnist, evangelist and author.
Here, from LovingGospel.com, is a listing of the 36 tips Nona Freeman penned, which every Christian can use daily:
1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up in time so you can start your day relaxed and rested.
4. Say no to time-consuming projects that compromise mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more, although one is often not enough, two can often be too many.
8. Allow extra time to do things and get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects and don’t lump the hard things together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it and move on. You are human.
12. Live within your budget and don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
13. K.M.S (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
14. Do something for the child in you every day.
15. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting.
16. Get enough exercise.
17. Eat Right.
18. Pray without ceasing.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to audio books or music while driving.
21. Write thoughts and inspirations down
22. Every day, find time to be alone, even if just for several minutes.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try to pray.
24. Make friends with godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scripture on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good, “Thank you, Jesus!”
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more.
29. Take your work seriously—but yourself not at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude because most people are doing the best they can.
31. Be kind to unkind people; they probably need it the most.
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before.
If you are like me, some of these you do. Some of these, you likely won’t do. But, some of them are new for you, and you are anxious to give them a try!
Lots of wisdom in this missionary! So glad she put pen to paper and decided to share it with us!