God Doesn’t Panic (But I Do) - Episode 39

Ever had a moment where your brain went from “this is fine” to “everything is falling apart and I need to emotionally relocate”… in under 30 seconds?

Yeah. Same.

In this episode of Divine Shenanigans, we’re talking about what it looks like to trust a calm God… when your nervous system is doing the absolute most. Because while we’re over here overthinking, spiraling, and preparing for outcomes that haven’t even happened yet—God is steady, present, and completely unbothered.

Through real-life stories, relatable humor, and powerful Scripture, this episode walks through how God shows up in the middle of storms, stress, and internal chaos—and how we can begin to live from a place of peace instead of panic.

✨ Inside this episode:

•  Why we panic when we feel out of control 
•  The story of Jesus calming the storm (and why He was asleep 😅) 
•  How anxiety shows up even when we’re close to God (hi, Martha) 
•  What it actually means to trust God while you’re afraid 
•  Practical ways to slow down your reactions and invite God into the moment 
•  “Holy Homework” to help you break the panic cycle in real life 

🎶 Song of the Week: Grace in the Madness – Brynn Elise
(Full version plays at the end of the episode)
Listen on the Brynn Elise: Worship & Words YouTube channel

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotionally reactive, or just tired of your own thoughts… this episode is your reminder:

👉 You’re not crazy
👉 You’re human
👉 And God is still calm—even when you’re not

💛 Connect & Grow with the Divine Shenanigans Community:
Join the conversation, share your story, and get encouragement for real-life faith.

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/DivineShenanigans

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

It's divided. Holy Averity with Christmas. It's sanctified. With print on the light and truth in her hand. She's breaking down the Bible with laughter and applied. It's divine. Oh, it's divine shenanigans.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Hey y'all. Welcome back to Divine Shenanigans, where we are learning, laughing, and loving Jesus, one mildly chaotic, emotionally dramatic, I need to sit down for a second moment at a time. I'm your host, Bryn, and today's episode is called God Doesn't Panic, but I do. And listen, if you've ever spiraled over something that hadn't even happened yet, if you've ever refreshed your email like it personally offended you, if your brain has ever gone from hmm, that's weird, to everything is ruined and I will now disappear into the forest, this episode's for you. Because here's what we're talking about today. God is steady. God is calm. God is not pacing heaven saying, oh no, what are we gonna do? Meanwhile, we're over here googling symptoms we don't even have, replaying conversations from 2007, and preparing emotionally for situations that don't even exist yet. So today we're going to sit in this tension. God doesn't panic even when I absolutely do. So of course we have to start where we always do around here, with a little honesty, a little storytelling, and a little I thought I had it together, but I did not. Okay, so let me tell you about one of my finest emotional spiral moments. And when I say finest, I mean Olympic level overthinking. Gold medal, no competition. So I sent a message. Simple, normal, harmless. At least that's what I thought when I hit send. You ever hit send on a message and then you're like two seconds later, your soul leaves your body. Immediately. You're like, wait, why did I phrase it like that? Why did I add that extra sentence? Why did I use that emoji? Because emojis are risky, okay? The crying laughing emoji can mean haha or it can mean I'm masking pain and also slightly passive aggressive. So now I'm rereading my own message like it's a legal document. I'm analyzing the tone, sentence structure, punctuation. Like was that period aggressive? Should that have been an exclamation mark? Did I sound too calm? Because apparently there's a wrong way to be calm now. And let me just say, if overthinking burned calories, I would be the fittest person in North America. So now we've moved past mild concern. We are entering full narrative building, emotional storytelling, completely fictional conclusions. And now my brain is like, okay, so they're going to read that and they're gonna misunderstand it, and then they're gonna think you meant something else, and then they're gonna respond weird, and then they're gonna be awkward forever, and now you've ruined the relationship. Ma'am, it's been three minutes. They haven't even opened the message. So now I'm watching my phone like it owes me money. And you know that energy, like, go ahead, light up. I know you see it. Don't play with me right now. And then it says red. Silence. Oh, we are not okay. Now my brain is like, this is it, this is a moment everything falls apart. I should have just stayed quiet forever. Why do I even communicate? So what do I do? Well, I start drafting a follow-up message because obviously the best thing you can do when you feel misunderstood is send more words. So now I'm typing hey just to clarify. Hey, I hope that didn't come across wrong. Hey, just circling back in case, and now I'm editing that message. Because now we've got two opportunities to mess this up. And at this point I'm like, maybe I should just throw my phone in the ocean and start a new life as a quiet person. And then in the middle of all of this, I had a moment of clarity. Of course it was not immediately, not gracefully, but eventually I realized nothing had actually happened. There was no conflict, no confrontation, no actual problem. It was just my thoughts, my assumptions, my need to control the outcome. My body was reacting like there was danger, but there was no danger. My mind created a storm that didn't exist in reality. And you want to know how it ended? They responded, Hey, sorry I just saw this. Sounds good. That was it. I almost wrote a whole emotional dissertation and they said sounds good. And that's when it hit me. I panic when I feel out of control. God doesn't panic because he never loses control. And if we're being honest, we do this all the time, not just with texts, but with situations, relationships, our future, our calling, our purpose. We fill in the blanks with fear while God is sitting there like I already know how this ends. So if you've ever created a whole emotional crisis out of something that hadn't even happened yet, congratulations. You are officially one of us. Now let's talk about it. Because the Divine Shenanigan Squad, y'all are beautifully honest. We've got the overthinker. I had a meeting at work and I replayed it thirty seven times, and I am now convinced I ruined my career. Meanwhile, the boss said great job. There you have that. Then we have the text spiral. I saw someone read my message and not respond, so now I assume they hate me. The future catastrophizer I haven't even started the thing yet, but I've already imagined it failing. So what do all of these have in common? We are reacting to possibilities, not realities. We are trying to control outcomes. We are letting fear write stories God never authorized. We panic in imagined futures. God stays present in the truth. Alright, so we laughed a little bit, we exposed our spirals, we've admitted that some of our stress is self-inflicted. But now we're going to ground this in something stronger than our emotions. Because feelings are loud, but truth is steady. And if we're going to learn how to live like God isn't panicking, we need to see how he shows up in situations that absolutely look like they deserve panic. Jesus calms the storm. Mark four thirty five to forty one. Alright, so picture this with me. It's nighttime, you're on a boat, not a cruise ship, a boat boat, you know, boat. No Wi-Fi, no life jackets, no captain speaking announcements, just vibes and water. Jesus says let's go to the other side. And the disciples are like cool, love that. Sounds peaceful. And then a storm shows up. Not a drizzle, not a light inconvenience. A storm so intense that professional fishermen, people who live on the water are panicking. These are not dramatic people. These are not first time boat riders. These are men who have seen storms before. And this one scared them. Meanwhile, Jesus, Jesus, he's asleep. And I just need to pause here because if I'm on that boat and a storm hits and I look over and Jesus is taking a nap, we're gonna have a conversation. Like excuse me, Savior of the world, now would be a great time to be awake. The disciples wake him up and say, Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing? Now notice what panic does. It questions God's presence. It questions God's care. It assumes the worst outcome. So Jesus gets up, he rebukes the wind and says to the sea, peace, be still. And immediately everything calms. The storm didn't have the final say. Jesus did. The storm was real, but so was his authority. And here's what gets me. Jesus was not surprised by the storm. He didn't wake up like oh wow, I didn't see that coming. He was calm before the storm stopped. God is not waiting for your situation to calm down before he becomes peaceful. He already is. So let me ask you this. Where are you panicking right now? What storm feels louder than God's voice? Now let's move from external storms to internal ones. Because sometimes the chaos isn't around us, it's inside of us. We have Mary and Martha, Luke 10, 38 to 42. Jesus comes to visit, and Martha is hosting, which means cooking, cleaning, preparing, managing expectations. Mary sitting at Jesus' feet. So let me translate this into modern language. Martha is doing everything, and Mary is doing nothing. And Martha's like, is nobody else seeing this? Martha goes to Jesus and says, Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work alone? There it is again. Don't you care? That's the same question the disciples asked in the storm. When we feel overwhelmed, we often assume God is uninvolved. Jesus responds to Martha. Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. Martha wasn't wrong for serving. She was overwhelmed because she lost focus. You can be doing good things and still be operating from anxiety. Martha was physically close to Jesus, but emotionally overwhelmed. Mary was still and present. So here's the question Are you busy for God but not actually resting with him? Now let's talk about fear itself because the Bible doesn't pretend it doesn't exist. David and fear Psalm fifty six three. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Not if when fear is not failure. Fear is human. David didn't deny fear. He redirected it. David was hunted, betrayed, attacked, misunderstood. He had real reasons to panic. God doesn't require you to be fearless. He invites you to trust him while you feel fear. Let's bring this into one more moment where everything looked lost. Jesus in Gethame, Matthew twenty six, thirty six through forty six. Jesus is about to be arrested, betrayed, crucified. And what does he do? He prays. He says My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow. Even Jesus felt overwhelmed. He didn't panic, but he didn't pretend either. He prayed. Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will, yours be done. Peace doesn't mean the absence of emotion. It means surrender in the middle of it. God's claim doesn't cancel your feelings, it anchors you through them. So what do we see across all of these stories? Storms happen, people feel overwhelmed, fear shows up. But also we see that God is present. God is steady. God is not panicking. And maybe just maybe, the goal isn't to become someone who never feels anxious, but to become someone who recognizes the spiral, pauses in the moment, and remembers God is not reacting, he is reigning. So now the question is how do we actually live this out? When our nervous system is doing the absolute most. So let's talk about it. Name what actually happened. Instead of everything is falling apart, say I feel anxious about this situation. Check the facts. Ask, what do I know versus what am I assuming? Pause before reacting. You don't have to respond immediately. You can breathe, you can pray, you can wait. Invite God into the moment, not after the spiral, during it. God doesn't require calm behavior. He invites honest presence. Alright, it's time for a little accountability and y'all know what that means. It's holy homework time. This week, I want you to catch the panic thought. Write it down. Challenge it. Is it true or is it fear? Replace it with God's help. I'm okay in this moment. Take one moment this week where you would normally react quickly and choose stillness instead. Alright, before we close out today, before we wrap everything up nice and neat, I want to give you a moment to just sit in what we just talked about. Because sometimes we hear truth. We nod our heads and we say, yeah, that's good. And then we immediately move on. But this part, this is where we let it sink in. So this week's song of the week is Grace in the Madness by myself, Brenny Lees. And you can find it on Brinny Lees Worship and Words YouTube channel, and it's also streaming everywhere. I want to tell you something about this song. This isn't an I had it all together and wrote it song. This is a my thoughts were loud. My emotions were all over the place. I was trying to hold it together and not doing a very great job, kind of song. You know those moments where you're like, I'm fine, but your brain is like, are we through? Yep, that's where this song lives. Because here's the truth we don't talk about enough. Grace isn't just for when you've calmed down. Grace is for the spiral, the overthinking, the emotional overwhelm, the I reacted before I prayed moments. God doesn't wait for you to get peaceful before he gives you grace. We talked today about how God doesn't panic, how God is steady, and how he is present. But if we're being honest, we don't always feel that. Sometimes it feels like your thoughts are racing, your chest is tight, your mind won't slow down and peace feels far away. And in those moments, it's easy to think something's wrong with me. But this song is your reminder. Nothing is wrong with you. You're just human in a moment that needs grace. God is not overwhelmed by what's overwhelming you. So as you listen to this song which we'll play at the very end of this episode, don't just hear it. Let it sit with you. If you need to, close your eyes, sit still, replay it as many times as you need to. Or if you're driving, don't don't close your eyes, safety first, saints. Let this be your moment to release the pressure, quiet the noise, and remember that even in the madness, you are still held. Let's pray together. God, you see us in our anxious moments. You see the spiraling thoughts, the overthinking, the fear of what might happen, and you are not overwhelmed. You are steady, you are present, you are near. Help us remember that we don't have to carry everything. Teach us how to pause, how to breathe, how to trust you in real time. Not when everything is perfect, but right here in the middle of the mess. Thank you for being calm when we are not. We love you. Amen. Thank you for being here, my friend. If this episode spoke to you, please share it with someone who needs a reminder. You're not crazy, you're human, and God is still steady. And don't forget to subscribe, follow wherever you're listening, and also on my YouTube channel. Find the Divine Shenanigans Community on School. I am starting a daily Bible study that will eventually cover the entire Bible, starting at the very beginning of it all, Genesis. It's called Daily Shenanigans in Scripture, and it's free and will go live on May 1st, 2026. Follow us also on Substack at Divine Shenanigans for a monthly newsletter. And if you want to support the show, you can always fuel my faith and caffeine at Buy MeACoffee slash Divine Shenanigans. Takes a lot of caffeine to be this witty. So take a deep breath. Release the pressure. God's got it, even when you feel like you don't. Now, here's the premiere of our song of the week, Grace in the Madness by Brittany Lees from Brittany Lees Worship and Words YouTube channel. Let it meet you right where you are. God bless you, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

I cried in the car over something small. A look at tone didn't matter at all. My heart hit panic like a fire alarm, and I couldn't tell truth from the harm. I replay words like a broken tape. Turn every pause into a worst case shape. I build whole storms from a drop of rain. Then ask you why I feel this way. I know I'm not seeing clear tonight. But feelings are loud and they feel so right. So have grace for the emotionally overreacted. When my heart goes loud and my thoughts get dramatic. When I'm spiraling fast over things I imagine being in the middle of it all. But you don't overreact at all. I take a silence and call it goodbye. Turn a delay until they don't care why. I read between lines that were never there. Then carry the weight of it everywhere. I know this pattern, I've walked it before. Knocking on anxiety's familiar door. But somewhere deeper than all this noise is a quieter truth in your voice. You don't rush to the worst in me. You see the whole, not just what I see. So have grace for the emotionally overreactive. When my heart goes loud and my thoughts get dramatic. When I'm spiraling fast over things, I imagine maybe here in the middle of it all. Have grace when I'm jumping to conclusions, writing stories that just aren't true. And I forget that your love's not confusing. Steady when I'm about to fall. Yeah, I'm a mess, but you don't overreact at all. You don't flinch when I fall apart. You don't shame my fragile heart. You don't match my frantic pace. You slow me down with patient grace. You're not startled by my fear. You don't disappear when I need you near. Even when I make it bigger than it is, you remind me who you are in this. Maybe I don't have to fix it tonight. Maybe I can just sit in your life. Have grace for the emotionally overreactive when my heart goes loud and my thoughts get dramatic. When I'm spiraling fast over things, I imagine me here in the middle of it all. Have grace when I'm lost in confusion. Caught between fear and illusion. Help me remember what's actually true. That I am safe here with you. I might still feel it all a little too much. But I'm learning to trust that your love does in rush, and you don't overreact, you just stay.