A breath of fresh air

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". ~ Philippians 4:6-7

"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 than food, and the body more important than 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?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 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." ~ Matthew 6: 25-34
Why am I sooooooo prone to worry? Don't answer that! I don't want to know. That's a psychological mine field that we may not want to traverse. But I do know this.....it never serves me well to give way to worry. So why do I so often let worry consume my thoughts and overwhelm me? As my dad would say (and think he's quite funny saying it) 'worrying works because most of the things I worry about never happen!'

It is so hard to let go of the illusion of control I have when I worry - and it is just that, an illusion. We never really have control of anything, and sometimes it seems that God doesn't either. But His Word tells us differently, and so does His track record - both in the Bible and in my personal life as well. In times where I have felt completely overwhelmed and my life has seemed like a dust storm, and all of my efforts seem to mess things up even more......that's when God has come through, everytime. He calms the winds, and as the dust settles I can clearly see His hand at work making all things new. I take a deep breath of fresh air and realize again how completely dependent on Him I truly am. With my life, my decisions, my very breath. And I find myself oddly grateful for the storm I endured. Hmmm.....maybe that's the whole idea? Ya think?

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10