When you are faced with overwhelming circumstances, what do you do? When life is not cooperating with your plans and you find a curve ball barreling in on you, do you find yourself filled with anxiety and panic? Life can be moving along just fine and then an event happens that changes everything…….fill in the blank. It could be the loss of a job, a serious diagnosis or a flare up of a chronic illness, financial needs and the list goes on. For the woman living in a home where abuse frequently happens, the curve balls are unpredictable, it’s a matter of when, not if another blow up will occur with a constant feeling of fight or flight.

What does fight or flight look like? It is the body’s response system to fear, also known as the acute stress response, it refers to the body’s reaction that occurs when something happens to bring panic or extreme fear. A release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with a threat or to run away to safety. This reaction results in an increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Your body can stay in fight-or-flight for 20 to 60 minutes after the threat is gone, which is how long it takes for the parasympathetic nervous system to return to normal levels.

I lived in this fight or flight response for many years of my life, from childhood until I was forty years old. I will say that I managed it much better after I allowed God into my life at age 22. It took quite a few years to undo what the constant turmoil did to my heart though. What I learned was to not panic but instead PRAY! Filling my mind with truth from God’s word, the Bible helped to calm my heart and believe that God would be with me and direct me in my decisions in how to deal with each and every situation.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble.” A refuge is a place of safety that is strong to keep out the terror or fear outside of it. This verse tells us that God is that safe place, His presence is that safe place to help when we face fears that rock our world. If we believe in Him, His presence resides with us and when we pray (just talk to Him) we activate an awareness that He is with us. Just speaking His name can calm the storms of life.

I Peter 5:7 “Cast all your cares (anxiety) on Him because He cares for you.” God truly cares about you, so give all your concerns to Him. He loves you so much my friend, you have no idea until you turn your heart toward Jesus and experience the peace that passes all human understanding for yourself. He is with you in the hard decisions and will walk with you through the hard things you face.

Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured Iwill help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand (a hand of justice, of power, of victory and of salvation).”

Don’t panic when fear comes, just PRAY my friend, pray always, in good times, in bad times, morning, noon and before you lay down to sleep. He is with you. Rest in His love and trust He will hold you in His right hand.

In His Love, Sharon Kay