by Joyce M. George-Knight

Created on: July 30, 2010

Times of utter chaos are tests of not only our patience but our faith. The trapped-in-a-corner feeling makes it feel impossible to relax when your entire world is collapsing, or so it seems. Nothing's going right. You wonder, "What's happening?" If God loves you, "Why is He letting this happen?" You want to run and hide or go to sleep with the hope that when you awaken, everything is back to normal. Meanwhile, you're stressed to the max and can't focus on anything. What are you going to do? Your question are legitimate. Can you stay calm in times of chaos?

Nothing's going to help until you make yourself relax. Take three or four very slow and deep breaths. Let them out just as slowly. With closed eyes, picture the stress flowing like a glowing fluorescent light running down your arms and legs and leaving through your fingertips and bottoms of feet. This may take some practice to make it work well. Once you've begun to relax, continue to focus on breathing slowly. Recognize how when you tense up, your breathing becomes more shallow and rapid. Oxygen is not getting deep into your lungs. You need the oxygen to think. Deliberately pay attention to breathing until you are able to keep it slowed down.

Depending upon your situation, if at all possible, try playing music that is tranquil, while at the same time, cheerful and upbeat. Music has an amazing ability to lift one's spirit. If you play an instrument, chaos is a perfect time to drag it out and play. Feel the music from deep within your being and become one with it. It's magical.

Belief in prayer is powerful. When you offer prayer and turn your problems over to God, you release them from your control, or your belief that you have control. Let God be at the helm of your problems. Ask Him to provide you with answers and direction. However, you won't hear His response until you remain calm and listen. Seemingly out of the blue unexplainable people surface, opportunities present themselves and before you know it, your life has down a turn-around.

Remember that you are not the only person going through a chaotic situation. Nobody escapes such trials. We all undergo testing and sink to low depths. Realize that one day you'll wonder why you worried so much; why you didn't trust God more. Think back to previous situations and how your life progressed. Learn from the past to deal with the present.  All these things will assist you with remaining calm during chaos.

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