Worrywart!

Why worry, when you can pray?
Trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay.
Don’t be a doubting Thomas,
Rest fully on His promise,
Why worry, worry, worry, worry when you can pray?

As far back as my memory will allow, I remember singing these lyrics in a catchy little tune.  The message was as simple as the song itself, but then, life was simple. 

Sometimes I think I’ve become jaded enough to think, “Yeah, Yeah, pray, pray, I know, but what if God doesn’t come through in this instance.”  After all, I know people who deal with all kinds of maladies and they pray, and pray, and pray, and difference.  I’m sure in times of dire persecution through history, Christians have prayed and have still lost their lives.  Maybe I’m bordering on blasphemy but hold on, there’s a point to my rambling.

I recently ran into a friend who has had quite possibly the worst summer on record, with one crisis on the heels of another crisis.  She tried to put up a positive front and even admitted that it was hard to remain positive.  Then she said something that I’ve thought, and said many times before.  She looked at me and sighed “I really don’t know what I would do without my faith.”  It was one of those times when the words you have heard a million times really hit you dead on.  I knew exactly what she meant.

I’ve thought about our conversation and her so much since then.  She needs peace in her life and I need to pray for her to keep her focus on God, His strength and the peace that comes by knowing that He is truly in control of it ALL. 

I have to admit, I am not the worrier in our house, Hubby is.  Repeatedly, I have resorted to telling him, “You are worrying about something that may never happen and things in our life that we never anticipated, happened without our worrying about it!”

The verse that I return to time and time again in my life says it all:  Jeremiah 29:11 - I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (msg)
Why worry, when you can pray?

Hope -less -full

Life seems so overwhelming. From the minute I open my eyes in the morning to when I finally drag my sorry butt to bed, I feel like I am always behind and can’t possibly get everything done that I intended to in that day. Of course, my expectations were unrealistic to begin with and for every item crossed off of the “To Do” list, more were added. I remember when I was young we had gerbils, Chip and Dale, whose lives consisted of eating, sleeping, and running on their rodent wheel, over and over and over. While they never seemed to mind the repetition, I become irritated when my life takes on such redundant patterns.


Lately, my priorities seem to be shifting. There are things that I’ve wanted to do in life, and yet never pursued them. Maybe it’s a type of midlife crisis but I’ve decided it’s up to me to set some goals. Either way, the bucket list is going to get smaller. I’m reminded of a story of a marathon runner who astounded his opponents by his outstanding accomplishments:


In 1984 of the Tokyo International Marathon, one Japanese athlete Yamada unexpectedly won the world championship. When reporters asked what made him such a startling success he said,

"Use wisdom to defeat opponent." Many people didn't believe him. Since running Marathons is the sport requires both physical strength and endurance, his response seemed unusual.

Two years later, at the Italian International Marathon, Yamada won the championship again. Again a reporter asked him, "You have won the championship again. Can you talk about your experience?" Yamada answered the reporter the same as last time, "I use wisdom to defeat opponent." Everyone was puzzled by his so-called “wisdom”.

Ten years later, the mystery was finally discovered. Yamada wrote his autobiography and he said,

"Before each game, I will travel the whole route and check it carefully. I will mark some important signs alone the road, such as the first mark is a bank, the second mark is a tree, and the third mark is a red house, thus mark to the end. When the race begins, I run as fast as I can towards the first goal, the bank. When I arrive at the bank, I will strive for the second goal, the tree. I break the whole marathon route into many small goals and finish them one by one easily. At first I don't know this method and set my goal at the end of the 40 kilometers marathon. Usually I get exhausted in the first 10 kilometers because I am frightened by the remote distance."

Therein lies the rub. If I look at the large ominous goals, I will give up and become disappointed and a bitter person. It is up to me to break down the large goals into lots of tiny little smaller goals that are do-able. Even realizing this as my new plan gives me hope.

Hope that my life isn’t just what it’s become day after day after day.

Hope that my life can be full.

Hope in things unseen but hoped for.

Hope.

Depression

Will the stars shine again?
Can I forget their glow?
It is so very dark,
Grief I seem to know.

The clouds have gathered 'round me,
But God is in control.
It feels that I am half,
And never will be whole.

Depression seems to grab your heart,
And never let you go,
But still I have a life,
And it hurts me so.

Whatever things are good,
I choose to love the Lord.
Knowing that the things once stolen,
Will one day be restored.
         --Beverly Tina Childs