Life is a journey filled with stressful situations, and we all navigate these challenges uniquely. A simple Google search for 'How to manage stress' yielded 2,830,000,000 results. This abundance of information is a testament to the universal nature of stress, a shared experience that unites us all. Learning to cope with it is the focus of almost three billion articles on Google, indicating that you are not alone in this.

Leadership is like being the problem-whisperer.

Being in a leadership position includes being the problem-solver, the problem-listener, the problem-whisperer, and the problem source (at times). It is often like playing the popular arcade game, whack-a-mole, where you take this stuffed hammer, and when a mole pops its head out of one of the seven holes on the board, you "whack" it. The mole goes back into the hole, and simultaneously, another one pops its head out of another nearby hole. You hit it, and another pops up, and so on. It is a fun game to release some pent-up aggravation and, at the same time, build up frustration trying to knock all the moles back in their holes. Another analogy would be akin to trying to stomp out a campfire. As you stomp on the dying embers, the sparks spread, starting many more fires. What was once one fire is now many fires!

President Ronald Reagan spoke at an executive forum of the Commerce Department on January 20, 1982. The President detailed the mountain of work that needed to be done to repair the American economy. In that speech, he humorously said, "When you're up to your armpits in alligators, it's sometimes hard to remember that your original intention was to drain the swamp." The meaning of that unusual analogy was aimed at eliminating the bureaucratic "red tape" that intentionally bogs down and detracts progress on designed goals and objectives of plans and proposals.  

Those pesky alligators can’t be avoided, but they can be tamed.

Sometimes, that’s precisely how we feel. We are pulled from every direction, trying to satisfy everyone’s expectations. We have deadlines to meet, projects to complete, people to contact, and places to go. Our family meals are obtained from the drive-through of a fast-food restaurant. We conduct a conference call on a speakerphone in the car, take one child to gymnastics, and rush across town to pick up another one from practice. We pillow our heads at night, with our minds still racing, plotting, and planning for the following day.

We live in the most technologically advanced time in human history.

We have instruments, appliances, and gadgets that are supposed to make life easier and more efficient. Time-saving inventions like the microwave oven, the Keurig coffee maker, and the air fryer have only created fractures in our lives that we fill in with even more commitments. Every major store, from Walmart to Kroger to Home Depot, has created systems where one can order online, an employee will shop for us, we can drive up to a designated parking place, and an employee will bring our groceries or purchases to our car. In addition, express checkout counters are now provided at most stores for those who cannot or do not want to wait.

We are the busiest society in human history.

According to a study, American families average less than 37 minutes of quality time together weekly (Family & Relationships, Health & Medical, Parenting, March 21, 2018). We should be concerned about this growing problem. Asked how you would describe your lifestyle, most parents quickly say their lives are hectic, verging on chaotic at times. Several alligators are to blame for the diminishing quality of our good intentions. Most parents identify their long work hours and their kids’ complex school activity schedules as the major gators consuming their family time.

Alligators are fascinating and unusual creatures.

They can run, climb, and swim very quickly, but not for long distances. They can stay submerged for hours. Scientists have discovered that gators will eat stones to help them stay underwater.  Contrary to what we may assume, most deaths by alligators are not from their bite. The deadliest aspect of the alligator is its muscular tail. Deaths by alligators are primarily attributed to the reptile getting its prey in a death roll, preferably in the water, literally disorienting and drowning its victim. The figurative alligators we encounter that hinder our progress and cause frustration tend to get us to death from the minutia of details, deadlines, and demands in our lives.

We have all felt overwhelmed, drained of energy, and lacking enough time. It is important to remember that the desire for anything, even a good thing, can become a controlling thing. As President Reagan indicated, we intend to drain the swamp, but those pesky alligators keep us at bay. We feel overcommitted to the point of becoming anemic in every area of our lives. The Bible indicates we can become weary in well-doing (Gal. 6:9).

It’s essential to keep the main thing the main thing.

A university professor wanted to teach his freshman class about time management. He placed a large glass jar on his desk and placed baseballs in it up to the brim. He asked his class to raise their hands if they believed the jar was full. Most of the class raised their hands in affirmation. The professor then told them they were wrong.

He pulled out a jar of marbles from beneath the desk and poured the marbles into the jar with the baseballs. He asked the question again if the jar was full. Few raised their hands, but some believed the jar was full. The professor again instructed those who had raised their hands that they were wrong.

He then pulled out a jar of sand and poured it into the jar of baseballs and marbles. He took his time shaking the sand all the way to the bottom of the jar and all around the baseball-marble contents. He once again asked how many students believed the jar was full. This time, the freshman had caught on to the experiment, and none raised their hands. The professor said to the class, “This time, you are right.”

Finally, he poured a pitcher of water into the baseballs, marbles, and sand jar. Once the water had permeated the contents and reached the top of the jar, he asked his class to raise their hands if they believed it was full. The entire class raised their hands in agreement. The professor said once again, “You are correct.”

After pausing for a few minutes, he asked them, “What is the lesson I am trying to teach you about managing your time?” One student quickly responded that the object lesson was that successful college students fill all their available time with something productive.  The professor told his class, “Though popular, that is not the pathway to success. Filling every moment without time for relaxation and reflection will lead to inefficiency and weariness. The object lesson is about priorities, --the baseballs go in first. It would be best to decide what the big things in life are and prioritize them. As a note, he added, “The process will not work in reverse.”

American clergyman, author, and historian Edward Everett Hale said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

It is not just a job; it is an adventure.

When I was in High School (back in the Dark Ages), we had to read a poem by Robert Burns entitled To a Mouse. In the poem, a farmer suddenly plows a mouse’s nest over despite the vermin’s careful planning. The angry mouse scolds the farmer, who apologizes with the most quoted line from the poem, "The best-laid plans of mice and men oft' go awry." Burns' poem subtly conveys that even the most carefully constructed plans can often turn out differently than expected.

For a decade in the mid-1970s, the US Navy's recruitment slogan was, "It's not just a job, it's an adventure." This quip would ironically characterize many days in educational administration. The adventure in schedules, like assembly instructions to a man, is just someone's opinion of how it should be. Most of us have schedules on calendars and lists of plans for any given day. Secretaries keep appointment calendars and make sure the administration stays on task. But then there comes the urgent, unexpected, and unannounced pesky alligator meetings. One of my former staff members called them "drive-by shootings." From that point, the whole plan for the day comes unraveled. The best-laid plans often go awry.

We must become gator wranglers.

The evangelist and former Chancellor of Northland International University once said, "The godliest thing you can do is take a nap. Author Carrie Snow said, "No day is so bad that a good nap cannot fix it." Former Yankees catcher Yogi Berra gave his secret to being ready for the stress of an upcoming game, "I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four."

Here is the point: sometimes, you must get away.

It would help if you had a time of refreshment and the opportunity to collect your thoughts. The revivalist Vance Havener once said, "If you don't come apart, you'll fall apart." Sometimes, the most essential thing that can be done is to take a walk or take a short drive away.  I have mentioned to our school family that if you see me sitting in the middle of the Walmart parking lot, alone in my car, in the middle of the day, I'm not crazy; I just need to bring my thoughts into line without distractions or interruptions.

If you do not handle what is handling you, you will not be here; that is a fact.

Years ago, my cardiologist, Dr. Petit, recommended getting away in the middle of the day. He said, "Stress takes a severe toll on the heart muscle; it is a silent killer." I quickly agreed and jokingly asked if he would write a doctor's order requiring me to get at least half an hour away daily.  He grinned and said, "You need to see yourself ten years from now. If you do not get a handle on what is handling you, you will not be here; that is a fact."

Elijah is the Biblical example of a gator wrangler.

In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah, after just calling down fire from Heaven to consume the false prophets of Baal and hearing of the bounty placed on his head by Ahab and Jezebel, runs and hides under a juniper tree. He has wrestled with the gators of discouragement and depression, and his energy is depleted. He asks God to take his life. Out of physical and emotional exhaustion, he falls asleep. God sends an angel to take care of him. The angel lets Elijah sleep; he is awakened to a prepared meal. Elijah eats and goes back to sleep. After sufficient time, the angel awakens Elijah and tells him to eat, for he has a long journey ahead.

When Elijah reaches the predetermined destination, the Lord asks him what is happening. Elijah believes he is the only one under such heavy pressure who is still serving God. The Lord encourages Elijah and tells him that more than seven thousand like him are still serving God. We often feel like the only ones experiencing insurmountable stress and challenges. This conclusion is a common misconception among most believers.

The naps, the food, the tender care by the angel, the Lord’s presence, being able to get away to hear the still, small voice of the Lord, and the assurance that others shared his plight about becoming weary in well-doing were incredible comforts to Elijah.

Everyone who serves the Lord will have days when it feels like they are trying to drain the swamp and are up to their armpits in alligators. The same Biblical principles recorded about God's care for Elijah are also there for each of us. We need to submit to the plans of the one who created us and knows our limits.

Hmmm---I think it’s time to go take a nap.

A word to the wise is always sufficient.