When the Heat Gets to You
READ: 1 Peter 5:7
Starting out my freshman year, I ran cross country. Living in Arizona and every day having the weather well over 100 degrees did not help one bit. We trained for a few weeks before our first meet. Naturally, I was really nervous before we started. As the race continued I got really tired, but being extremely competitive, I had to keep going and not stop. Something wasn’t right, however. I had never felt this bad before, but for some reason I had to keep running. As I turned the final corner I saw the finish line; problem is, I can’t remember anything after that. I had worn myself out so much. I had finished 12th, but will never remember that because I fully passed out once I crossed the finish line. People stuffed bags and bags of ice in my clothes to cool me down. I guess my dad, who was there, asked me tons questions, but I don’t remember a single one; I don’t remember anything. Once the ambulance came, they took me right away to the hospital. Half way there I fully awoke in the ambulance. They asked me more questions, but I couldn’t remember what day it was or where I was. I couldn’t even remember my own birthday! When I arrived in the ER, they placed me in a room and started another IV on me. A couple of minutes later, I started freaking out and screaming at the top of my lungs. I was struggling so much it took four adults to hold me down. They feared that I would hurt myself and/or pull my IV out, which would’ve been very painful. Worse thing is, I remember every bit of that. Honestly, I thought I was going to die. I never want anything like that to happen again. What seemed like hours of screaming and fighting the doctors and nurses, only lasted for a few minutes, because they gave me something in my IV to calm me down. The doctor told me that I had severe heat stroke, which caused my blood gases to sky rocket, and then made me not be in my right mind. Later that night I was released from the hospital, but still was not feeling well. I stayed home for a few days to recuperate. Let’s just say the heat got to me.
I like to use this real life story as a metaphor. Sometimes in life we let all the little things get to us. We let it all pile up, but being human beings we have to try and fix it ourselves and just keep pushing. Eventually, this not only wears us out physically, but can wear us out spiritually, because we don’t focus on what is really important. What we really need to do is not let the heat of everything get to us. We need to step back, catch our breath and rely on God. In my race, I just kept pushing; if we in this life keep pushing against our worries and anxieties, we can spiritually pass out because we don’t trust in God like we should. In times when I feel like I’m spiritually going to pass out, I like to turn to my favorite Bible passage, 1 Peter 5:7. It says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” It’s very simple, but it is all we need in hard times. We just give all our anxieties, fears, doubts and troubles to God. He takes them away from us and we don’t have to worry about the heat getting to us.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: Have you ever felt spiritually exhausted? What were the circumstances?
THINGS TO PRAY ABOUT: Ask God to take away all your fears and anxieties. Ask Him to help you rely on him more fully.