A thin stream of fear
Trafalgar Falls, Dominica, March 2010
“Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” — Arthur Somers Roche
Waterfalls start out a lot smaller and more quiet than they end up. If you’ve ever stood at the foot of a fairly large waterfall, you know the kind of power it can generate as the water flows along, accumulating volume before taking that steep downward plunge.
You’ve probably noticed that I love metaphors. I think Roche came up with a vivid image that illustrates what anxiety can do to us. It’s impossible to keep worrisome thoughts totally out of our minds, but if we allow them to meander here and there, they will pick up momentum and strength as they go along. Soon the objects of our worry multiply. We can even end up worrying too much about worrying too much. Then, if we’re not careful, the cumulative anxiety can take on a force of its own, destructive and impossible to stop.
A bit of anxiety can be useful, if we transform it into a healthy degree of caution. But reining it in can be a real challenge. I’ve been dealing with all kinds of anxiety lately, much of it justified, and I’ve had to evolve ever-increasing coping strategies for keeping it at bay. Reading, prayer, music, singing, writing, walking and working outdoors are all formidable defenses for me. What works best for you?
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: anxiety, calm, faith, fear, hope, meditation, mindfulness, prayer, serenity, worry
Defeat Despair 
Yosemite Falls & others in the park are magnificent displays our God’s Power!
This photo you shared is beautiful! Waterfalls are high on my list of things I love, that bring me great joy!
Praying for you & Matthew.
Love to both of you
Thank you Mary Ann! Please keep those prayers coming! Like the waterfalls, they are refreshing even when we are not seeing them directly.
So good to hear from you! Sending lots of love!
Julia, your blog continues to be a source of encouragement and insights for me, just as it has been for many years. I read every entry that you post. Thank you for continuing to publish them and for being so faithful to us, your readers. You and your blog are loved.
Judy, thank you for being such a good and faithful friend, and for your steadfast presence here. I have thought of you so often, wishing I could make time to send you photos of the thriving pachysandra and ferns you gave me in what now seems a different life. I hope and pray for a time when I will be able to see you again in person, or at least stay in close touch again. Until then, please know that your love and encouragement have made a true difference in my life. ❤
Julia,
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div>I hope all is well with you and your family. Praying for your strength, healing and comfort
Thank you, Sue. I can’t remember whether you were on the email list I sent around a few weeks ago, but suffice it to say that prayers for strength, healing and comfort have never been more needed and appreciated! Thank you for being here with us!
Good morning Julia!
The stream of anxiety is a great metaphor. I can even imagine the pain of the constant pressure.
Yes, that pressure is a mighty force over time. Which makes the metaphor a kind of warning about the long term damage that happens gradually.