Worried Sick!

Last night I determined that we were all going to go to bed early.  So at 8:30 (usual time is 9:00) we got the kid’s teeth brushed, got them tucked in and we were in bed by 9:00.  We had taken a long bike ride yesterday and then swam all day and frankly, I was just tuckered out!  I got a massive sunburn too!   Well the early bed time didn’t fly with my kids, they were up and down and up and down, needing this and that.  Finally by 10:30 they were asleep.  It was then that I was just about asleep and my dogs started to bark.  REALLY?  Come on!!!  I kicked my husband and informed him that his dog was barking (since he was the one that wanted the second dog) and that he needed to go shut it up! 

So he got out of bed and took care of the dogs.  Finally – peace.  It was 11:00 and I twisted and turned and flopped all over the place attempting to get comfortable with my newly radiated skin.  And by 12:00, I had finally gotten to a spot and to a mindset that I could sleep.  At 1:30, the dogs decided that they needed to go outside and so, up again.  I still made him go and take care of them, but I was wide awake.  To add to the fun, since my body had a little sleep in it, my mind was RACING.  It was off.  I have to do this, and get this done, and have this accomplished by this time and….  At 2:00 I got up and ate some watermelon and crawled back into bed. 

I was worried about an event that I have coming up on Friday and I am one of those people that if the details aren’t worked out, I have a hard time coping with that.  I like every little thing to be accounted for.  In my husband’s words I “worry too much.”  It got me thinking, I really do.  The Bible tells me in Philippians 4:6 and 7 specifically, “do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

There is so much that I worry about all the time.  Am I prepared enough?  Will my kids be okay with this sitter or that?  Are they getting sick?  Am I sick?  Am I pregnant again (and no, we are not trying)?  What are we going to do in a few months when I don’t have my two part-time jobs to fall back on?  Did I offend this person unintentionally? 

But God says that we are not to be anxious, or worry about anything.  That doesn’t mean not to be prepared- we still need to prepare and to do everything that we do for the Lord.  Colossians 3:23 states; “Whatever you do, work at is with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.”  But we don’t need to worry about it. 

Mathew 6: 25-27 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important that food, and the body more important that clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” 

So we are not to worry about our life, as long as we are living for the Lord and doing it with all our hearts for Him.  We don’t need to worry about finances, or food or shelter, because God will provide.  We are more valuable than the wild animals and God provides for them!  Worrying just steals hours from our life, it adds nothing to them.  It does no good what so ever.  So we need to be prepared for the events, but not to worry.  We need to be prepared for our day, but not to worry about it.  The Lord provides!  So he will provide for those little details that I am worried about.  I still need to get what I can accomplished, and work hard at it, but I don’t need to loose sleep.  I think that worry is a tool of the devil; he uses it so that we waste our time, energy and effort not trusting God and trusting in ourselves.  Worry takes our focus off God and puts it on us and on our problems, which is not what God intended.  We are to seek HIM first. 

Following that passage of scripture down a little to Mathew 6: 33-34 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

No truer words were ever spoken!!!

So instead of taking the time to worry, I am going to take that time, and give my situations to God, allow for Him to provide the answer and take that extra time to seek him.  I am going to FAST FROM WORRYING!!!!