Browsed by
Tag: anxious

Bumfuzzled

Bumfuzzled

Comments 10 comments

Bumfuzzled--a path among greenery that divides two waysAll of us occasionally feel bumfuzzled. No matter what we do, we cannot find the answers we need.

We don’t know which way to turn or where to look for help. Our brains refuse to work. We are up a stump.

Bumfuzzled means confused.

We feel:

  • Inadequate
  • Frustrated
  • Perplexed
  • Anxious
  • Bewildered

The answer to our bumfuzzled feelings often lies within our reach.

We may simply need to wait, to let it be. For example:

  1. If we relax, the answer frequently pops into our minds.

This happens for many of us in the middle of the night. I keep paper and pens in a bedside drawer for such moments.

  1.  Physical activity also helps.

Increased blood flow improves our brains as well as our bodies.

Our change of focus makes everything fall into place.

  • Confusion melts away.
  • Vexation turns to vision.
  • Purpose and meaning return.

We don’t need to sweat it when we find ourselves overwhelmed and unable to function.

However, we don’t want to stay there.

When we finally find what we need, we make a remarkable discovery. Along with the answers we sought, we also gained persistence and endurance.

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”. (Romans 8:26)

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

A Watched Pot Never Boils

A Watched Pot Never Boils

Comments 4 comments

A Watched Pot Never Boils--two pots over a fire pitI am not the world’s best cook. However, I do know how to boil water. I have also learned a watched pot never boils. Oh, it eventually boils if I watch it, but it seems to take forever.

I wait. And I wait. And I wait.

When I focus on anything I want done quickly, time drags.

A watched pot never boils means impatient waiting makes the wait feel longer.

Time slows down. This happens when I wait for a:

  • Computer screen to refresh
  • Favorite meal to cook
  • Special visitor to arrive
  • Repair to complete

Checking every few minutes only makes my impatience worse. Wanting something done immediately if not sooner does not make it happen any faster.

A focus on other concerns helps relieve anxious waiting.

If I stay busy as a bee, I don’t have time to wring my hands while I wait. When I ignore the pot, it surprises me how quickly it boils.

Patience works better than a watched pot.

Allow the proper amount of time, and any project or activity improves. So does my mood.

A few good reminders:

  • Slow down.
  • Don’t rush.
  • Take it easy.
  • Enjoy the moment.

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7 NIV).

Thanks to Pat Childress Conner Stapp for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.