I wonder if anyone has ever thought to start a chapter of ‘Worriers Anonymous.’ Wouldn’t that be something? The start of a weekly meeting might go something like this:
Me: ‘Hi, my name is Chrysti. And I’m a chronic worrier.’
The rest of the chapter: ‘Hi, Chrysti.’
In all seriousness, though. Who of you worries? Surely, I’m not the only one who struggles with worry daily. As God has worked in my life, I’ve certainly grown and learned not to worry as much as I used to, but I still struggle with it. And once I think I’ve got the hang of not worrying…
Image Credit: Pedro Ribeiro Simões
Enter motherhood.
I had worries during pregnancy. Will I have a healthy pregnancy? What if I have serious complications? What if I have a miscarriage? Will my baby be healthy?
And of course, my worries didn’t go away once Asher was born. Will I fail at training my baby to sleep? What if Asher doesn’t sleep very well when we go to this event? What if I can’t find a place to warm a bottle? What if I’m not allowed to bring formula into an event?
Oh, my list of worries for my son could go on…
Not long ago, Leon and I went through a series on worry in our morning devotions (We’re reading through a book by Tony and Lois Evans). It talked about how God doesn’t really want us to choke on worry (Philippians 4:6). They talk about worry from the perspective of our children. Asher doesn’t get up every morning and worry about whether I’m going to feed him or if Daddy is going to work so he can get money so we can have clothes and food. What really brought it home for me was this statement:
When you worry, you’re really saying, ‘God, I don’t really know about You. I’m not sure You’re a caring and providing God. And since I’m not sure about you, I’m anxious. I’ve got to take care of things myself.’ –Tony & Lois Evans, Our Love is Here to Stay: A Daily Devotional for Couples
Ah, yeah. That puts it into perspective. Just as it would be ridiculous for my son to worry about whether I’m going to feed him and clothe him… out of my love for him, I do. God, in His faithfulness, does the same for me. He is always going to provide for my needs out of His love for me, and my need will never be greater than his ability to provide.
Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (Good News Translation)
