When One Small Thing Feels Like It Changes Everything

Last week didn’t start the way I expected.

Sunday night I had a health scare that honestly frightened me. It wasn’t catastrophic, but it was enough to shake me. And I noticed something almost immediately: once my nervous system got stirred up, everything else felt louder. I realized I was reacting differently to simple interactions.

Little things felt bigger.
Normal interactions felt heavier.
Harmless moments felt loaded.

And underneath it all was that old reflex — the subtle fear that one small mistake could shift everything.

Maybe I said something wrong.
Maybe I handled that awkwardly.
Maybe I disappointed someone.

And before I know it, my brain moves from:

“That was probably fine.”

to

“I probably offended her.”

to

“She’s never going to want to talk to me again.”

It’s amazing how quickly the mind can build a whole story.

What struck me this week wasn’t that I had the reaction.

I’ve been doing healing work for a long time. I don’t live in constant fear. I’m not spiraling daily.

But when my body is unsettled, old wiring gets louder.

That’s important to notice.

Because sometimes it isn’t about a specific relationship at all. It’s about a nervous system that’s overstimulated and looking for danger. And if I don’t pause, breathe, and check what’s actually true, I can start reacting to a story that isn’t even happening.

I also noticed something else.

Even though I don’t usually question God’s love anymore, in moments of stress there can still be a faint echo of that old belief — that if I mess up badly enough, something shifts. That love moves. That I’m back on probation.

I don’t live there.
But I recognize the whisper.

And last week reminded me again that healing is not a one-and-done event.

It’s lifelong. Even years of stability don’t mean old patterns never resurface. It just means we recognize them faster.

That’s what this week’s tool is about.

Not dramatic correction.
Not shame.
Just a pause.

The tool walks you through three simple prompts:

• Name the story your mind is telling.
• Separate past wiring from present reality.
• Look for evidence that love has not been withdrawn.

Because most of the time — at least for me — the catastrophe I imagine is entirely internal. The other person hasn’t moved. The relationship hasn’t shifted. Nothing has been canceled.

And with God?

Nothing separates us from His love. Not awkward words. Not imperfect reactions. Not anxious weeks.

Love doesn’t disappear that easily.

Sometimes the most stabilizing thing we can do is simply stop and check:

Is love actually gone?
Or is my nervous system just loud?

This week we’re practicing that pause.

The anchor phrase is simple:

Love is still here.

And sometimes that’s enough to steady everything.

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If this reflection encouraged you, would you take a moment to:
– Pray — that Faith in the Fog finds its way into the hands of those who need its message of hope and healing and that I listen to God’s voice in all that I do.
– Share — this post with someone who might need the reminder that they’re not walking alone.
– Give — if you’d like to help make it possible for Faith in the Fog to reach those who need help navigating the fog of healing, you can do that here.