Good morning, my friends!

I have a digital sticky note of random, motivational sayings. Just recently, I was decluttering old notes, and read through my list of mood-boosting quips. Most of them have to do with abstaining from OVERTHINKING. (Do I have a fellow overthinker? hahaha!)

In college, I found this pin on Pinterest that made me crack a smile because it exposed my bad habit of overthinking and framed it as it indeed was.

It was added to my quote collection!

Isn’t that so true!!!

Ok, story time. I have an example . . .

Just this summer, I took a three-week CNA training course. At the end of the training, clinical, and lectures, there were the State tests.

In order to pass both the knowledge and the skill exams, I needed a 70% for the knowledge and an 80% for the skill.

Throughout the course, I did relatively well. I felt like I comprehended the material, but (thanks to my overactive anxiety!) I was dead sure that when it came to the State test day, I was going to absolutely flop. I could already see the worst-case scenario unfold-I could already see myself getting a 30%, at least. Maybe, (and this was a huge maybe) I would surprise myself and eek by with a 50%.

The whole weekend before test day, I vacillated between, Ok, I’ve got this, I’ve studied my best to I don’t have this, what was I thinking?!. . . I’ll only get a 30 anyway. . . Why try and humiliate myself?

I am a class-A overthinker! Hahaha!

Guilty as charged!

What if I lived by a rule of "POSITIVE THOUGHTS ONLY"? Wouldn't life feel so much better?

Why do I always panic first?! The sensation of having a heart attack is entirely optional. Well. . . it's optional if I believe that, God will work it all out.

Believing in God’s abilities starts at the beginning of each endeavor.

Now to finish the test story, I did end up passing. Phew! What a relief! I'm honestly so glad that's all over. But there will be another test day in the future. There will undoubtedly be another situation that will shove me into a vortex of overthinking.

What if instead of freaking out about my State test, my experience was grounded with trust in God's plan.

What if it looked like this instead:

• I schedule my test, but no worries! God is going to work this out.
• I study my material to the best of my ability, but no worries! God is going to work this out.
• I take a couple of practice tests. And even though I don't get the score I really wanted (Is it time to freak out now?! Nope!) No worries. God is going to work this out.
• It's the night before the test, and I realize I've done all I can do. No worries. God is going to work this out.
• I wait for my test results (Now, can I freak out?! Not yet!). No worries. God is going to work this out!
• I get my test results back, yep! God worked it out! Haha! I sure am glad that I didn’t freak out!

Having confidence in God is a daily and consistent choice I must make.

Now, what if I didn't pass? Great question! God would have still worked it out. For whatever reason there would have been a purpose in failing.

It wouldn't have been a setback if God had grown me through it!

At the end of my newsletters, you may notice that I have my life’s verse, Psalms 138:8, under my name.

It’s a verse I adopted as MY verse after I graduated high school.

I found this to have two possible meanings.

1. The Lord will perfect everything that worries me. The test day, snakes, my schedule, the interview, all of the things that strike anxiety in my heart. The Lord will work it all out.
2. The Lord will perfect everything that has to do with me. My future, my relationships, my health, my finances. Everything that involves me and all the variables that touch my life: the Lord is in ultimate control.

What a comfort!

Let us sigh with the knowledge that God will work it all out! No matter how silly it may seem to outside eyes, if it bothers us, it matters to God. He will work it out, even if His result is not what we had in mind. His work will always result in the greater good!

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With Love,