Once Again
“Once again I’ll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders. I’ll ponder all the things You’ve accomplished and give a long, loving look at Your acts.” Psalm 77:11-12 (The Message)
If you want to read what anxiety sounds like, read the first ten verses of that Psalm. The Psalmist is not sleeping, he’s stressing, he’s pacing, he’s questioning everything . . . sound familiar?
Once again . . . is a mantra that coaches repeat to athletes, piano teaches to students, professors to medical students. It’s about practicing over and over again.
Once again . . . dismantles false security that you’ve got it figured out.
Once again . . . refreshes your memory.
Once again . . . diffuses panic.
Once again . . . sets in the motion muscle memory.
Once again . . . causes us to stop running down new, unchartered, fleeting paths of peace-seeking, anxiety-relieving strategies.
Once again, I’ll brush my teeth, pay my bills, call my family, do the laundry, walk the dog, take out the garbage, stretch my muscles and . . . be still in the Presence of God.
Seasons of crisis are exactly where “once again” is essential. The more stable, calm, routine-based and grounded we are in the normal, practiced parts of life, the more we will be able to endure, thrive and help. And the more we focus our thoughts on God, the clearer our thinking will be. Let’s be “once again” kind of people!
“Once again I’ll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders. I’ll ponder all the things You’ve accomplished and give a long, loving look at Your acts.” Psalm 77:11-12 (The Message)