Check the Smoke Alarm
The shrieking smoke alarms pierced the 3:30am peaceful slumber of our household of 9. I cannot think of anything less endearing than a 3:30am false smoke alarm. Kids were screaming and crying – chaos ensued as everyone found each other and determined that it was indeed a false alarm. As my husband and I comforted our children we tried to explain that there must be a system error because after investigating, there was not a fire. Even as we put our kids back to bed there was still a strong sense of anxiety in the air. Within 15 minutes all the kids were on our bedroom floor, not because of fear of fire, but fear of being alerted by the alarm.
For numerous nights later, one daughter in particular cried every night as she climbed into bed for fear that the smoke alarm would go off again. I desperately tried explaining that a smoke alarm is not something to be fearful of because though it causes anxiety, it is not the thing that will harm you. The fire itself is to be feared and if we can rule out the fire, there is no reason to be scared of the alarm. But even as I explained it to her I could not stop my own heavy heartbeat as I climbed into bed. Living in fear or stuck in anxiety is hard and our internal fight or flight mechanisms can easily run wild if we do not do system checks often.
Often times we set off our own version of smoke alarms without checking for the fire. We allow our mind to run wild on the “what ifs” of life. Or we set off the smoke alarm by believing that a failed deadline, missed soccer game, or forgotten birthday are the fire that can consume us. All of us a sudden we are living in crisis mode as if fire is surrounding us, when we need to investigate the source to see if it is an alarm with faulty wiring or a true fire. My days start at record speed with schedules, appointments, plans and deadlines. My heart races at the to-do list and the need to always be ahead of the clock. The anxiety that drives my day is nothing more than a false alarm. The false alarm often causes me to snap at my children, lose sleep or simply steal my joy.
In Isaiah 26:3 it says that God will keep us in perfect peace because we trust in Christ (NIV). It is a verse I have quoted to family and friends as they face uncertain situations, yet how often do I lose focus of Christ and spiral into anxiety? How often do I forget to step back and remind myself that an alarm is a good reason to take inventory and reset my focus back on Christ?
But what does it look like when someone lives fully in the peace Christ offers? A great visualization is found in Jeremiah, chapter 17 when the Bible says “The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is in the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water; it sends it’s roots out toward the stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 CSB). The tree acts in opposition of what we would expect. Instead of withering in heat, instead of worrying about its needs being met, the tree is full of peace that its roots reach the source of all it needs.
In the same way that a smoke alarm tells us to take inventory of our surroundings, seek the source of the smoke and seek help if needed, our anxious state of mind can offer us the same warning, that danger may be present. If we treated our anxiety as a smoke alarm instead of an annoyance or acceptable way of life, we will be able to fully reside in the peace Christ offers. It may look like listing out the reasons and times our heart and mind are anxious. It may look like having tools such as Scriptures, worship songs, journals to reflect, or a trusted friend to call that will lead you back to that place of peace within Christ’s love. Or, if there is a great source of smoke, it may look like calling a professional to help you walk through dealing with the fire in a healthy way.
Even though the smoke alarm created anxiety and robbed us of our sleep, I am so thankful for the system that alerts us when we are in danger of fire. The smoke alarm system is what helps me sleep peacefully at night. Maybe it is time to do a check up on my connection to Christ, to ensure I am deeply rooted in perfect peace because I am connected to the source of Peace, and to investigate when the alarms go off.
Melissa Jackson has been married to her college sweetheart, LD for 14 years and they reside in Charlotte, NC. Melissa is a mother to 4 children at all times, but frequently also mom to local foster children and international exchange students. They also share their home with Melissa's parents. Their home is an ever revolving door and they are so thankful to be able to live with hands and hearts open to whatever God calls them to. Melissa has served on staff at churches as well as in leadership roles as a volunteer and has a passion for providing opportunities for others to be the hands and feet of Christ. Melissa began documenting their life of radical faith after her husband left corporate America to do ministry and they became foster parents. More about their journey can be found at www.crazywildfaith.wordpress.com