by Mary Essiet                                              Nigeria                      09.08.2024

I like to think that traveling light is one of the steps in journeying through life smoothly.  By this, I mean just living in the moment and taking it a step at a time.  It costs little or nothing when compared to overthinking, which robs one of real-time happiness.

I would say that when trials and temptations arise, one should trust in God and his provision.  However, having been there, I realized that it just does not work like that.  There are things that overthinking does to a person.  It overwhelms you with fear of trying new things, worry about past actions and ultimately keeps you fixated at that point.  It steals away the joy of basking in the moment.  It cripples you while robbing you of peace.  It is a stressor!

Not once or twice have I found myself overthinking, and in response I tried to deceive myself by praying.  Maybe it was not a deceit after all, but I know that I could not even communicate effectively with God.  Somehow, I felt he was too far away from me, but then I remembered my community of friends.  They are the ones whose back I could always ride on until that phase elapses and I can find my feet once again.  So, I grabbed the opportunity.

In my experience, community(friends) plays various roles in one’s journey of faith, and our relationship with others has a way of deepening our understanding of God’s abundant love and presence.

Every day, I remind myself that life itself is full of ups and downs, and I must consciously free myself from the chains of overthinking.  I cannot be present or enjoy the peace I have at hand if all I think about is “WHAT IF?”.  So, I make sure to repack my travel bags from time to time, ensuring that there are no traces of this joy killer but only essential needs.  It’s been fruitful, and I hope people can do that too.