One lump of putty
can mimic life.
Although I can’t
imagine many kids being satisfied with it now, Silly Putty® provided hours of
entertainment when I was a child. Unlike Play-Doh®, which would turn hard and
crumble if left uncovered, Silly Putty maintained its elasticity.
Sunday was the
most exciting day for using Silly Putty. Comics had their very own section and
were printed in color. Pulling the Silly Putty until it was stretched thin and
then pressing it on a comic strip resulted in a color picture on the wad of
putty.
I discovered that
Silly Putty mimics life. Life’s episodes have caused me to say or think what
the psalmist said: “I am losing all hope.” Stressful circumstances have pulled and
contorted me into all shapes and sizes.
STRESS stands for
Struggle, Tension, Restlessness, Expectations, Stretching, and Satisfaction.
When I’m stressed, I Struggle—perhaps with which decision to make. Sometimes,
wrong and right are clear-cut, but at other times, they aren’t.
Stressful
situations have a way of unloading Tension. I find myself wound up like a top
that needs someone to let it unwind.
Stress almost
always has an inherent Restlessness about it—restlessness because I need to decide
or change my mind or because I’m thrown into uncontrollable circumstances.
Expectations can
allow stress in—unrealistic expectations of myself, but often from others.
Stretching is a
normal part of stress. I wouldn't feel the stress if I wasn’t being
stretched—willingly or unwillingly.
If I respond to
all of the previous characteristics positively, I’ll experience Satisfaction.
Stress isn’t inherently negative. The way I respond determines the outcome.
Stress can teach me new ways to handle circumstances and prepare me to handle
life—but only if I approach stressful situations from a godly viewpoint.
The psalmist took
his stress to God. Letting God take control and teach us how to respond correctly to stress is the only way to come out ahead in stressful circumstances.
Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves trying to handle stress in sinful ways, which
will only intensify our stress level and set us up for further complications.
Tweetable: Think about whether you are handling stress like Play-Doh or Silly Putty.
Father, when
times of stress stretch me, stretch me toward You.
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