Worry...why do we do it? I had to laugh out loud when I was chosen to
write a devotional on this particular scripture. I am not the best one to write a devotional
on this topic; however, I do have a lot of first-hand experience with it. I must admit that I come from a long line of
worriers. That's one thing I definitely
got from my mother, and that I hope I will not pass along to my child. I haven't always been a worrier. In fact, growing up I can remember getting
very frustrated with my mother because she fretted over the silliest
things. And then I became a mother
myself. Motherhood = worry! (I can just hear my mother saying, “I told
you so!”) The moment we brought our
little bundle of joy home from the hospital, I became a certified worrier. I
feared I wouldn't measure up as a mommy.
Would my child survive my multitude of shortcomings? Then she started walking, and I soon realized
we needed a house without a staircase.
My worry was at an all-time high when Chrissy was one and had to be
hospitalized due to dehydration. God
took care of our little one and despite all of my worries; she has grown into a
rambunctious 7 year-old that is too much like her daddy.
One thing I've learned about worry
is that when I stop worrying about one thing, there's always another something
to take its place. It is a constant struggle in my life. I don’t like to go on plane trips without
Chrissy because I am afraid of something happening and leaving her without her
mommy and daddy. Airplanes in general
scare me to death! I absolutely refuse
to take one over the ocean; yet, someday I would love to see Hawaii. There’s always a cruise ship I can take
instead. At least that was my backup
plan until the cruise ship recently went down in Italy like it was the
Titanic.
I often have to remind myself that
when I worry I am basically telling God that He’s not God enough to take care
of me. I don’t know why things happen
the way they do. The year 2009 was not a good one for my family. That was the year we dealt with the loss of
Ryan’s mom and later the same year the loss of our baby. But I can’t sit around and worry about the
bad things that might happen. If I dwell
upon the “what ifs,” I will miss out on the blessings around me. I continue to look forward to the day when it
all comes together. I will say, “Wow
God! You did have it under control. And
Your way is best.” I struggle with this
daily. Just when I think, “Way to go,
Amy! You haven’t worried once today.”
It’s then I realize I haven’t even gotten out of bed yet. Nevertheless,
I try to remember 2 simple words. Trust
God. If I do this, I am much better
off. He always comes through! Whether it’s a last minute teaching job or
just enough money to get us until the end of the week. He is much better at being God than I ever
can be.
The last two verses are some very
important reminders for us. “Seek the
Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you
everything you need. So don’t worry
about tomorrow.” During this season of
lent, I pray that we let go and let God.
No worries! God’s got this!
“Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it's
troubles...it empties today of it's strength. ” ― Mary
Engelbreit
Amy Benton
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