CAREFUL & CALM REGARDLESS OF CHAOS!

By: M. Diane Pearce, Ph.D., Marriage & Family Therapist

“BE CAREFUL, KEEP CALM & DO NOT LOSE HEART!” This is the soundest psychological advice of our time! This advice is challenging to follow when the order that we all grew accustomed to is nowhere to be seen. In a gloomy & distressful environment, it is natural human instinct to begin looking around for something predictable & a sense of order. Chaos seems to surround us, in the news, social media, government and even in relationships.

Order and predictability become my quest….

• I look for it in my daily routines & a pandemic changes the day to day for us all.
• I look for it in my friends and colleagues & I find myself in isolation and social distancing.
• I look for it in the rulers and the system of our country & chaos breaks out. 
• I look for it within my own soul & I see fear of the unknown.

A quote from the movie Spiderman, “To whom much is given, much is expected” resonates in my soul because I have been given a great deal. Therefore, I am somewhat ashamed to admit to you, my reader, that I am afraid of the unknown. In my younger & seemingly braver days I marched into the unknown & I did it alone and afraid. Yet, I walked in faith and took one step at a time, having only my faith in God and what scripture tells me is His purpose for me as my motivation. As God often does with us, He did not make clear to me the path set before me but He always made clear the next step to take by making available to me one & only one step at a time.  Now years later, I find myself fearing the unknown, when I know from years of   experiences that He is predictable though the path laid before me is not!

So, we must ask ourselves, as we start a new year with the chaos, what step can I take today? Though I will feel lonely and afraid, wisdom tells me that I only need to know how to take the step laid before me today.

How to be Strong enough for One Step at a Time in today’s Chaos…….

• Be Careful to treat others well, regardless of what they say or do or post in social media.
• Be Careful to think about others who are different than myself with love and acceptance.
• Be Careful to respond with calm to the needs, the hate, the fear & the chaos. 
• Be Careful to walk in His ways of love & encouragement​.

“Be Careful, Stay Calm & Do Not Lose Heart” is advice that is psychologically sound for our current culture & it comes from scripture! This advice was stunningly appropriate to the environment that is recorded in Isaiah. The people were in gloom and distress & needed a Prince of Peace, an Everlasting Father! He told Isaiah to not call conspiracy what the people call conspiracy & do not fear what they fear. He told him to Be careful, Stay Calm & Do not lose heart! May we each stand firm in our faith with Careful Calm!

(Scripture adapted from Isaiah 7:4, 9, 8:12-14, 9:1,2 6,7)