How to Cope When Your Nerves Are Rattled
You never know how your day will unfold. We often cling to the predictability of our routines, but the unexpected has a way of turning everything upside down.
This became apparent for my friend not long ago. We had both attended a function, and afterward, she had to pick up her daughter. Moving from a small town with just 15,000 residents to a bustling city of nearly 2 million was disorienting. Though GPS and Google Maps are wonderful technology, getting lost is still a real possibility.
As night fell and rain began to pummel the city, the situation took a dramatic turn. My windshield wipers struggled to keep pace with the downpour, blurring my view as I made my way home. My friend, on the other hand, was headed toward downtown. Just as she approached her destination, her daughter texted her: the apartment building where she was visiting a friend was surrounded by six police cars. Officers had the building surrounded, their guns trained on a man who was waving a firearm and threatening to kill everyone.
Panic set in as my friend’s fear for her daughter’s safety escalated. The tension spiked further when another text arrived: three shots had been fired, and the man had collapsed from a gunshot wound to his leg.
With her heart racing, my friend navigated the rain-slicked streets, struggling to find a clear route to her daughter. She succeeded in finding a street close to where her daughter was located. Once home, they discussed the event to ease rattled nerves and chuckled at an unexpected turn of events.
The man, while collapsing, was singing, “I Love Rock 'n' Roll.” The police officers, seemingly unfazed by the chaos, joined him in song. It became clear that the man was under the influence of drugs and was not in his right mind. Thankfully, he was apprehended with only minor injuries, and no one else was hurt.
Routine and predictability are not always guaranteed. I remember a camping trip where fear and uncertainty clashed. In the stillness of the night, a scratching sound at the side of our tent had my boyfriend whispering, “Don’t move. It might be a bear.” My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a stark reminder of how quickly ordinary moments can turn into something extraordinary and terrifying. Later on, my boyfriend told me it was only the wind blowing the loose tie backs against the frame of the tent, and he was teasing me. However, I’ve never forgotten the fear that shattered my nerves.
It reminds me of the disciples travelling across the sea when they encountered a tumultuous storm. The waves towered, heaved, and tossed the boat around like a fragment of splintered wood. Meanwhile, Jesus slept.
Matthew 8:23-27
When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Human tendencies kicked into high gear, as the disciples stress and fear collided for their safety. Yet, Jesus, was untethered. He slept, without worry, concern, or fear. However, to further prove He was the Son of God, He silenced the winds. Just as God, His Father, opened the Red Sea to free His people.
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
It’s placing your fear at the foot of the cross and giving it to Jesus that calms rattled nerves when the unexpected occurs. To pray earnestly with faith and trust He’ll rescue you, take hold of your hand and bless you with His peace. Sometimes this may be difficult as when you’re experiencing the event, like the disciples and my friend, rational thinking gets buried behind walls of fear and you react out of desperation. It’s then, as children of God, you rely on the gift of His Holy Spirit to calm your nerves to resolve the conflict, believing God’s righteous right hand will give you strength, if you lean on Him. It’s through Him our fears are like the wind, lasts briefly, and then is replaced with His peace.
It's this courage, trust and faith, that enables you to withstand circumstances beyond your comprehension. I placed my faith and trust in Jesus to rescue me from a demon attack. I was in the midst of praying before bed when I felt this chill up my spine and a sense of anger and hate infiltrating my soul. I called upon the blood of Jesus to cast it out. My ears started to ring, my head felt numb, and then, silence and peace.
Jesus’ blood is the sword that will defeat your enemies and your fear.
Yet, a year and a half ago, relying on Jesus was foreign to me. I wanted nothing to do with Him. If I was afraid, I used crystals to protect me, as I was saturated in new age culture. I believed each one of us was energy, connected to the rocks, earth, wind and sky (my testimony). These were the elements that protected me. But I was a fool. I did my utmost to believe in anything else but Jesus. In truth, we should fear Him. Jesus has the authority over your soul. It’s within Him to save you.
It leads me to Alice Cooper’s testimony. He gave his heart to Jesus out of fear of retribution for his sins. It’s what you do against Him that determines your fate when you stand before Him. In this instance, you’re alone with Him, and His judgement on your eternal life will be based on your actions and how you lived your life.
Matthew 5:30
If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
Many of you experience rattled nerves when the predictability of a day turns array, however; how often do you fear the fate of your soul? It’s an area we don’t think about as we assume life will continue its normal flow. However, the end of your life will happen. It’s an inevitability you can’t escape. I know, it’d be great to live forever and never held accountable for your actions. However, that’s a daydream.
Incidents occur that are out of your control. How you react is in your human nature. However, I know if you ask for Jesus to intervene, your anxiety will ease. He’ll blanket you with an ocean wave of calm that will settle your nerves. It’s a first step in getting to know Him.
God Bless,
Hi, I’m Cathy.
A blogger, photographer, author, passionately driven to pointing people away from new age indoctrination to find redemption in Jesus Christ.
I’m a mixed blend, excited to share all I offer...
Blog-Twisted Roots
Do you find yourself asking questions about new age, whether the practices and beliefs are leading your soul to redemption?
As a reformed new ager, I was saturated in the belief I could co-create with the universe and manifest a life of abundance. But I was deceived. This blog is to point you to the truth of God’s words and how He perceives the new age indoctrination.
Fine Art Photography
I always dreamed of being a professional photographer when I grew up. It was a journey to reach this goal, but I did it!
I owned a home-based studio for over a decade but have been shooting images for two decades. Now, semi-retired, I have a collection of my most cherished images of landscape or nature available for wall décor.
