CUTAWAYS: KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE

Okay, so after the last post cataloging my recent spate of bad luck, you would think I’d be done whining, BUT NOOOO! Less than twenty four hours after the final piece of furniture was moved back into my newly dried out home office and I was settling in to deal with a crushing work load… lightning struck my office condo and fried the phone system and network wiring. Keerap.

You know, sometimes, you just have to start laughing at all life’s little disasters. (Oh, obligatory potty mouth warning for those who might have little ones running about.)

We’ve all been there, right? Those times when one problem after another relentlessly dog piles on you. But since none of them are particularly life threatening or anything like that, you almost feel guilty about complaining. And you’re certainly not going to bother God about a little stress, are you?

Well, actually, you should. And if you go to mass, you already do so during the embolism delivered by the priest which follows the Lord's Prayer. Altogether now. "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy, keep us free from sin, and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.” The fact that it says ALL anxiety is very much on purpose. The Catechism explains that “when we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past, and future, of which he is the author or instigator. In this final petition, the Church brings before the Father all the distress of the world. Along with deliverance from the evils that overwhelm humanity, she implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ's return.”

So while stress may not fall into the “overwhelming humanity” category of evil, it absolutely can play havoc with the peace of mind God desires for us. Perhaps that’s why, in his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul felt compelled to write, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” So while it’s natural to feel stressed from time to time, it’s always good to ask God to help you deal with it, and even avoid it when possible. And while you’re waiting on that to happen, perhaps the occasional laugh isn’t such a bad idea either.