Sooth Nursing Stress - Ask! There Are Only 3 Possible Replies

One of the ways I lower the stress levels of my every day life as well as the nursing stress that I feel at work is to ask for what I want. I put my desires, wants and needs down on paper in a present tense statement. I think of it as a form of prayer...A prayer to my God, my Creator, my Higher Power. The name of the Source is not important, just as long as you ask!

Now I'm not doing this for God's benefit. It could probably be argued that God already knows everything. Therefore, he already knows my heart's desires. So I'm not writing my desires down to "enlighten" God. I'm writing them down to give them life. I'm writing them down to infuse them with energy. I'm writing them down to take them from a "wish" state to an actual parameter of my life.

And God always answers my prayers in 3 ways:
1. "Yes."
2. "Not yet."
3. "I have something better in mind."

In the past, my biggest problem was #2..."Not yet". I'm like everyone else. I want what I want when I want it. So the idea of God saying "Not yet" to me is a little hard to swallow. Besides if I think that my God is playing tricks on me and withholding things from me to "teach me a lesson" then I don't want to trust him.

But I don't believe my God plays tricks on me. My God is perfect love. So I choose to believe that when God says "Not yet" to me it is out of perfect love and infinite wisdom. Because it's actually not God saying "Not yet" to me , but instead it is me saying it to myself. There must be some kind of emotional, spiritual or physical work that I still need to do to make myself ready to receive.

Making myself ready to receive is different from being deserving. I believe we are all born deserving of God's bounty. Making myself ready to receive is also different from having to earn God's bounty. I don't have to earn it. It's my birthright. It's your birthright too. We just have to allow it.

So I've come to believe that it is me who is saying "Not yet" to myself. I remind myself that God's not a puppet master. I have free will and choices. If I'm asking for a certain thing but continuing to do old behavior that actually blocks the object of my desire from me, then I'm the one withholding it from myself. Maybe I have some growing up to do in a certain area. Maybe I have some maturing to do. Maybe I have more practice to do in a certain area of my life. Maybe I have an amends to make. Maybe I'm holding on too tightly. Maybe I'm not having fun regularly enough. Maybe I'm having too much fun. Maybe I thought about asking but didn't really take the time to actually write it down on paper...Hmmm

Because ultimately it is me that allows God's abundance into my life. And when it all comes together it is truly, truly glorious! He's the source. I hold the key of willingness.

Take care,
Theresa