Earlier today while out running errands, I spoke to a woman on the side of the road at a stop light. You know the one, when you usually ignore them, or try to look busy while they walk by and you're there on a red light. We’re all guilty of it at some point or another. My windows were down, and she walked up casually and said, “Hi, my name is Carla.” I replied nicely and introduced myself to her. She then politely asked, “Hey, are you gonna finish the rest of that apple?” I told her no, and offered it to her. She took it without question and started eating it. We had a quick, but very insightful conversation. She said she was just passing through Austin, didn’t really know where to. She had no food, no money, and no place she calls “home”. During our conversation, i asked her:
“How do you do it? I mean, like, what keeps you going forward in this difficult life you’re living?”
Unbelievably, she said, “I don’t worry about my life or how others see it, because I know that God takes care of me.”
At that time the light turned green. She looked back at me and said, “Andy, thank you for the apple. I pray that you will enjoy whats in store for you, and you will let go of the worry in your life.” By now, the cars behind me were honking at me for holding up the line, so then I drove off. Just like that. It was amazing to think that this woman was more concerned about my problems than hers. She didn’t even know me. Except that my name was Andy. For all she knows, I could’ve given her a fake name. I thought about it more tonight, and I realized that, people who suffer a lot, worry very little. While others who suffer little, worry a lot.
Then I thought to myself, “Do I worry a lot? Do I have that kind of mind that tends to lean towards the worries of life?” I wrestled around with this thought in my head for a while before I asked God about it in prayer.
“Father, do I worry too much?”
-“Yes.”
“…….. Yes?”
-“Yes.”
“Uhhhh, ok. So…… then, what?”
-“Quit. Worrying effects everything you do."
“Well, I know it can effect how I treat others. Ive been through that before. I was very inconsiderate to everyone: Family, Co-workers, friends, etc."
-“Yes, you get so consumed in your worries that you lash out to those you love most. But, more importantly, it effects your spiritual productivity.”
“My spiritual what?”
-“When your mind is filled with worry and anxiety, all you do is focus on them. You leave me and my will out of your life. You find little time for prayer and little time for my word.”
Philippians 4:6-7 puts it pretty clear. – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” its pretty simple: if we worry too much, then God’s Peace will diminish in your life. I heard an expression once, it goes like this: Worrying doesn’t do much at all. Worrying is like a rocking chair; itll give you something to do, but it wont get you anywhere…”
“Ok God, so how do I start getting the ‘worry' out of my life?”
-“You must cast you worries unto me in prayer.”
“But, I already do that. Don’t I?”
-“No. At first you do, but then you take them back and eventually try to handle them yourself. You must lay down your issues to me, and not worry about them ever again. You spend too much time worrying about the future and things that out of your control. Live one day at a time, because each day has enough problems to face.”
If we are constantly worrying about the past and future, then we are wasting our time.
When things happen to us that are out of our control, we cant sit back and worry about it excessively, instead we need to give our worries to God and trust that He'll tae care of them. I love talking with God, I always come away replenished. Tonight, He took my worries away. What about yours?
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