One Moment At a Time

Sometimes when I’m in a difficult situation and anxiety sets in, I can feel myself floating up and up and up. And before I can even realize what’s happening, I’m flailing.

Taking EVERYTHING in at once. Looking WAAAAAY into the future. Investigating every possible scenario and ALLLLL the people affected.

It feels like I’m hovering above the WHOLE entire world.

The enormity of it becomes terrifying.

And of course, I am completely overwhelmed.

The numbers. The news. The hospitals. The store shelves. The white spaces on my calendar. The uncertainty. The daunting timeline. The pain. ALL the people suffering.

But after lots of practice with anxiety and overwhelm these 40 years, I’ve learned that what I really need to do in these difficult situations is come down.

Down, down, down until my feet are planted flat on the ground.

Then I zoom waaaaay in.

And set my eyes on whatever is exactly before me.

Just one thing.

One person.

One moment in time.

When I come down and zoom in, I’m reminded I’m not in charge of healing ALL the sick or feeding ALL the hungry or soothing ALL the suffering.

I cannot save the whole entire world.

But I CAN do one thing at a time.

I can serve and love and work and pray and give the very best of myself to the task right in front of my face.

When the anxiety mounts, I can flatten my feet firmly against the ground and ask, “But what comes NEXT?”

Then I can make breakfast.

Get dressed.

Turn on the computer and click the Remote Learning tab for my Kindergartener.

Unload the dishes.

Text my sister.

Read scripture.

Serve lunch.

Forgive myself a thousand times a day.

Dance in the kitchen with my kids to GoNoodle.

Switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer.

Snuggle with books and my little people on the couch.

Go for an afternoon run.

Shower.

Pull something out of the freezer for dinner.

Phone a friend while hamburger sizzles on the stove.

Memorize the scene of my family playing LEGOS at the table after dinner.

Plunk my little ones in the bath.

Tuck all my beloveds into bed.

Make love with my husband.

Then fall asleep whispering gratitude for the beautiful, ordinary moments of yet another day.

We don’t have to do EVERYTHING, dear ones.

We simply cannot do it ALL.

We can leave all the fixing and world saving to the only One who is capable of it…

And do just the next thing we’ve been asked to do.

Because how do you eat an elephant???

That’s right.

I think that’s how we’ll get through this, too.

One moment at a time.