Photo by Alias 0591

By Jerrica Ching

Many of my fellow Asian American sisters in Christ have submitted entries on anxiety, busy schedules, and learning to find humor in the chaos of our lives.  Similar to these wonderful women, I too have a humorous story to share.

Two weeks ago I had a fever, body aches, the chills, a stomachache, a cough and a headache.   I was miserable and adamant that I had come down with the flu.  I marched on over to urgent care, listed all my symptoms, and was promptly told that I had a very small viral infection which was most likely caused by stress.  Stress has been the biggest culprit to my health throughout my twenties and I often become more stressed trying to find ways to de-stress.

That night when it was time to sleep, I had taken my prescribed cough medicine and was hoping for some restful sleep.  After 15 minutes when my mind would not stop thinking about work, my family’s well-being, the cause of my sickness, or if I paid my apartment rent, I promptly woke up to make a cup of tea.  Once the cup of tea was finished, I attempted to try and catch some sleep before my stomach started feeling excruciatingly sore.   Again I hopped out of bed to try and locate some antacids for my stomach.  Trying to tell myself that this was the last time I would get out of bed, I tried to take some deep breaths and focus on nothing but my own breathing.  This worked for about five minutes before I felt a prickly sensation in my temple and before I knew it I was out of bed again trying to find some ibuprofen.  Feeling frustrated, defeated, sore and exhausted, I tossed and turned that night hoping that all of the medication I took would start kicking in sooner or later and I could at least get three hours of sleep.  “Go to sleep…” I told myself repeatedly.  “Go to sleep.  Go.  To.  Sleep.  Now.”

I am the type of young woman who likes to be proactive when it comes to finding a solution, which is quite obvious from my quest for cold remedies.  It is very easy for me to forget that oftentimes in the midst of a busy schedule, stress-induced sickness, or all of the tasks of my to-do list, sometimes silence is the best medicine.  Having silence in the Lord, and allowing Him to take away all that burdened me, was what helped me sleep that night.

May my forgetfulness be an example to my fellow sisters in Christ that there is no better cure than relying on the Lord.  May we all remember to be silent, to share time with the Lord in goodness and in hardship, and to know that the Lord is always listening, providing, and healing.

Jerrica KF Ching lives in the beautiful state of Washington and works as a Mental Health Primary Care Provider serving children, adolescents, and their families at Columbia Wellness.  She graduated with an MA in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling from George Fox University and is working towards becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist.