Thoughts About the Effects of Stress and Other Emotions

I have told some of you about the episode that occurred on December 4, 2006, when I first began to realize the seriousness of my mother's condition. This was only thirteen days before she died. All of a sudden, while attending a meeting of our church deacons that evening, my mind "shorted out." Names of people and places that I usually identified with ease simply meant nothing to me. I couldn't even remember the name of the town where we lived. I had kept all my emotions tightly contained in those early days of December, upon hearing the possible prognosis for my mother. Finally, when I began to let those emotions go, mymental faculties returned; but what a scary hour or so it was. I didn't know what was happening to me. In recent weeks, Lydia and I have been experiencing a different kind of stress. The effects are devastating, though different from those which I experienced last December. Yesterday when we went to church in Mobile, the minister's wife, who happens to be a friend of ours, went out of her way to let us know she was glad to see us. Her warm and genuine greeting almost brought tears to my eyes. This afternoon, I was in touch with a moving business that specializes in clergy situations. The lady who took my call was so kind and reassuring that my relief was indescribable and emotionally overwhelming! We know that stress affects people in many different ways. Physical manifestations of the impact of stress are real and varied. We also are beginning to realize that other powerful emotions also affect conditions in our body. Whenever we have the opportunity to show someone genuine love, to give a heartfelt hug--especially when someone is crying or is going through tremendous personal difficulties--or whenever we have the opportunity to give someone genuine encouragement and support, we should do it! We may very well be contributing to that person's emotional and physical health. Society has become so impersonal today that even the church is often a source of pressure, disappointment, and strife instead of a place of healing and redemption. What we say and how we act does make a difference. Plant seeds of emotional and physical health in those with whom you interact whenever possible--especially in those people about whom you care the very most.