The power of the human imagination is absolutely amazing! One of the things it is really good at is projecting into the future. Even though none of us can tell the future that does not stop our imagination from conjuring up what it will be like. We have all heard of the expression, “worst case scenario.” It means imagining the worst possible outcome of a situation. Anxiety and even panic can take over when when we imagine the worst case scenario and focus on it to such a degree that we fully experience it as though it were really happening in the moment. It may be some unwelcome news, or something someone says about us, or anticipation of a bad diagnosis. Fear of that worst case floods the brain and we feel overwhelmed. But here is the thing, the worst case scenario is seldom as bad as we feared.

Spiritually, when you are imagining the worst case scenario you lose the ability to focus on the present situation. We are to busy creating the worst case scenario in our heads. The great secret to spiritual growth is to be present focused. The present moment is all we have. The ability to say, right here, right now, I am ok is the most powerful antidote to consternation. I have expereinced the power of those words countless times in a variety of situations. As I keep my attention on the present, I can experience the divine presence with me. I believe that’s what Psalm 46: 10 means, “Be Still and know that I am God.”