October 25
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?
Luke 12:25
We “worry” and fret about so many things, all of us; gut wrenching things, and even trivial things that only matter at the moment. We worry about the daily events that surround our families, our friends, our work, our world! Did you ever notice though that when life crises occursuch as an illness striking a loved one or ourselves, or at the bedside of someone you love who is dying, or experiencing major tragic events, such as those that have affected our country – our cities, like those of 9/11, or The Boston Marathon bombings; that all else is irrelevant? Time seems to stand still! We are forced to stop; to contemplate. We search to comprehend the happenings around us. Very quickly everything is put into perspective. Things once considered so important are virtually disregarded. We begin to understand that we have little control over any of it, and all the worrying in the world is not going to change a thing.
The experiences though, create opportunities for action; action in a way very different perhaps, than we would typically pursue. They create an opportunity for us to surrender – to let go and be in the present; fully in the moment, absorbed in what we are surrounded with; before attempting to orchestrate any motion in response to what is in front of us. The situations provide an opportunity to allow ourselves to be in God’s presence, to reach for Him, to listen for the meaning in what we cannot comprehend, to look for Him in those around us. It creates an opportunity for selfless, loving action on the part of each of us.
Perhaps in these situations, God is showing us what is most important in our lives - to our very life! As we grow in understanding and trust during these life crises, God shows us that in every small event as well as the significant, we can rely on His presence. We may have little control over many circumstances that affect our lives, but we can control how we respond to them. We all have decisions to make that require careful consideration and may cause us some angst, but to remember that all good comes from God enables us, with implicit faith to seek His guidance, knowing that He will help us make those choices that influence the outcome of what we do each day.
It is human nature to have concerns – we all have them, big and small! But Jesus cautions us about the uselessness of worry; for worry is self-driven and actually self-indulgent and is an affront to God. It perpetuates a mind-set that we are our own masters; that we can rely predominantly on ourselves - on our own ability and knowledge only; it depletes us of our energy and God-given talents and disables us from moving forward.
While in Arizona, a few years ago, I found "worry stones" made of rock from the area and brought a few home. Small and smooth, they easily fit in a pocket, and like my Rosary or prayer beads used in another faith, fingering that rock seems to illicit a calmness within. Several admitted "worriers" received them that Christmas!
We are told over and over in Scripture that God is with us always and He will take care of us. In faith, we can ‘let go and let God,’ as the old saying goes! With prayerful deliberation, any decisions, actions, even non-action we take can be trusted to be God centered - without the “worry.”
Heavenly Father, give us faith when we worry uselessly; help us to trust in you always. Abba! Father! We are yours.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?
Luke 12:25
We “worry” and fret about so many things, all of us; gut wrenching things, and even trivial things that only matter at the moment. We worry about the daily events that surround our families, our friends, our work, our world! Did you ever notice though that when life crises occursuch as an illness striking a loved one or ourselves, or at the bedside of someone you love who is dying, or experiencing major tragic events, such as those that have affected our country – our cities, like those of 9/11, or The Boston Marathon bombings; that all else is irrelevant? Time seems to stand still! We are forced to stop; to contemplate. We search to comprehend the happenings around us. Very quickly everything is put into perspective. Things once considered so important are virtually disregarded. We begin to understand that we have little control over any of it, and all the worrying in the world is not going to change a thing.
The experiences though, create opportunities for action; action in a way very different perhaps, than we would typically pursue. They create an opportunity for us to surrender – to let go and be in the present; fully in the moment, absorbed in what we are surrounded with; before attempting to orchestrate any motion in response to what is in front of us. The situations provide an opportunity to allow ourselves to be in God’s presence, to reach for Him, to listen for the meaning in what we cannot comprehend, to look for Him in those around us. It creates an opportunity for selfless, loving action on the part of each of us.
Perhaps in these situations, God is showing us what is most important in our lives - to our very life! As we grow in understanding and trust during these life crises, God shows us that in every small event as well as the significant, we can rely on His presence. We may have little control over many circumstances that affect our lives, but we can control how we respond to them. We all have decisions to make that require careful consideration and may cause us some angst, but to remember that all good comes from God enables us, with implicit faith to seek His guidance, knowing that He will help us make those choices that influence the outcome of what we do each day.
It is human nature to have concerns – we all have them, big and small! But Jesus cautions us about the uselessness of worry; for worry is self-driven and actually self-indulgent and is an affront to God. It perpetuates a mind-set that we are our own masters; that we can rely predominantly on ourselves - on our own ability and knowledge only; it depletes us of our energy and God-given talents and disables us from moving forward.
While in Arizona, a few years ago, I found "worry stones" made of rock from the area and brought a few home. Small and smooth, they easily fit in a pocket, and like my Rosary or prayer beads used in another faith, fingering that rock seems to illicit a calmness within. Several admitted "worriers" received them that Christmas!
We are told over and over in Scripture that God is with us always and He will take care of us. In faith, we can ‘let go and let God,’ as the old saying goes! With prayerful deliberation, any decisions, actions, even non-action we take can be trusted to be God centered - without the “worry.”
Heavenly Father, give us faith when we worry uselessly; help us to trust in you always. Abba! Father! We are yours.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson