Stop Thinking, Start Trusting

Do you ever sit there and start to imagine how a scene will play out? Or how you would react to a hypothetical, totally-created-in-your-head situation? Or what you would say/do if ____ happened?

Welcome to a large chunk of my brain.

I blame the writer in me, but a solid amount of the time, I’m over-thinking. It’s natural, (at least that’s what I tell myself). I want to prepare myself for potential outcomes. I want to be ready for whatever comes. I want to try to anticipate reactions or events so I won’t have a stupid response. So I’ll be confident. So I’ll know, and not have to worry later (not too much).

But the problem with over-thinking is that you can think yourself to death. You can start to get anxiety over what hasn’t even happened yet, or worry something negative into existence. You can start to assume the worst in everything. You can make yourself paranoid to the point that you don’t even know what to do. You can focus so much of yourself on the future that you neglect what’s right in front of you. And then you miss out on the now.

And that’s why one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in faith is this: stop thinking, start trusting.

See, the universe already has a plan. God already knows all the crazy thoughts skipping around in our heads. He already hears our worries, and listens to our pattering heartbeats. He knows our anxieties. He understands all the silly, little things we’re analyzing in our minds.

And He knows the outcomes, too.

That’s why it’s essentially pointless to worry your mind over what you cannot plan, cannot control, cannot shape to fit your desires. That’s why when it comes to the future and what hasn’t yet happened, putting your faith in something bigger than yourself is necessary. And helps you slow down.

When you overthink, you worry. You worry about all the things you could have/should have done, you worry if you said too much or too little, you worry about whether you could have changed something or been better. You worry about what’s to come and if you’ll be ready for it.

But when you stop letting your mind run wild and instead trust in the universe, trust in God, you calm that worried heart.

You realize there’s no sense in being scared of what you don’t know when someone’s already watching over you, preparing and supporting you to face whatever’s next.

Sometimes it’s good to overthink. You become a more conscious person. You consider others. You try to be the best, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes it becomes too much. Sometimes you spend your life looking back or forward instead of seeing where you are now. Sometimes you allow your anxieties and thoughts to control your happiness—and it is in those moments where you must learn to let go.

Stop thinking and start trusting. Know that there is a purpose for your pain and a reason for your struggle. Know that you are not the first person to go through something difficult, and you won’t be the last. But remember that you aren’t alone in your fight.

Quit trying to make sense of everything that happens to you and allow life to unfold and show you the blessings and lessons. Don’t become frustrated because you don’t have the answers; know that you will discover them in time.

Don’t let your mind spin you in circles or your heart beat with anxiety. Remember that God doesn’t abandon His children, especially in their moments of turmoil. Even when it seems like He’s unreachable, know that He is only a prayer away.

And trust.

Trust that what is meant to happen will happen, that people who are supposed to leave will, and those who are supposed to stay will be by your side. Trust that your heartache is necessary for your growth and that your failure will make you stronger. Trust the decisions you make and answers you’ve felt in the core of your being.

Trust in God. Trust in the universe. Trust in your own sturdy legs and beating heart.

Stop trying to plan what you cannot, or control what is not meant for you to touch. Stop thinking yourself into stillness and know you’re meant to be right where you are.

And you will be okay.