If your anything like me it's so easy to forget not to worry. This past week as Joel and I have been living out of suitcases and a few random bags of clothing at his parents house I found myself worrying more often then not. I don't even know how many countless times I found myself battling in my head to not worry. You know it's hard to stay focused when are there are so many things pulling you different directions. I was constantly finding myself stressed and feeling like a nuisance. Even though everything within me was telling me it was going to be ok, God is in control, and I wasn't a nuisance it was so easy to fall into those temptations, which are, in all reality issues of pride and sinful nature.
On the way to WA, Joel and I listen to many different books on tape (Thanks again Mom and Dad for those! They were a life saver!), one of those was the
Screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis (if you haven't read them I recommend them- but do so cautiously and with prayer). The idea of the book is about two demons, Uncle Screwtape being the wise elder directing his nephew on how to turn people back to
their father, the devil. It goes on in detail about thoughts and things which are meant to draw us away from God, thoughts like doubt, worry, pride, frustration etc. and them being placed their by these demons themselves. This book has been known to make people very terrified of every thought that comes in their head being from the devil, and while that is not completely true, I do believe that he does put thoughts out there for us to dwell on- it's up to us to be constantly giving them back to God.
I say all this to say that while I was having those thoughts it hit me. I hadn't been turning them back over to God, I was internalizing them and dwelling on them more then I should. While it is true that I need a job, a car and a place to live, my dwelling on them isn't going to help one bit! I decided to read through the book of Matthew again and really think about what Jesus is saying, then I came to Matthew 6.
"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 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've read those verses, but yet it seems like I am constantly coming back to them. God does have this ALL under control. We we come to Him in prayer He already knows what we need. He's got this- I just need to trust. To rest in His word, to wait.
My ramblings for the day.
And because every blog is better with pictures- a few to wet your whistle.
