Why Worry?!

You know when people take a piece of paper and write down all the things that they are worried about and then throw them in the fire as a way to symbolically rid themselves of them?  Well, it's still to hot out to set up a fire in the fire pit so I figured typing them out here will be my way of ridding myself of the worries I have. 

Here are some of the things I waste time worrying and being anxious about...

• something bad happening to my children
• something bad happening to my husband
• something bad happening to my extended family
• something bad happening to me 
• specifically something bad happening to me before my children will be able to remember me (hence the Letters to Everett and Letters to Nolan)
• car crashes
• airplane falling out of the sky
• terrorists 
• burglers/bad people
• soldiers being in/going to war
• war coming to America
• children that are mistreated 
• the future of America
• not getting to see my relatives enough
• not being a "good enough" parent

I know that it is useless to worry about the things that you have control over because you have control over them.  I know that it is useless to worry about the things you do not have control over because you do not have control over them.  So what should be left to worry about? For some reason it doesn't matter how hard I try, I still end up worrying!

I know that when I pass from this world to the next, that I am going to Heaven.  I know that this life will not compare to the next but it is hard to focus on that truth when I (feel like I) have so much going on in the here and now. 

"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

We could get into the whole "why do bad things happen to good people" debate but that doesn't really matter because bad things happen to good people and bad people and there's not much that we can do to change them.  So I am deciding to focus on today and today alone. I don't want to continue to worry about what life would be like if X, Y, or Z happened because they aren't promised to us.  Sure it is good to plan ahead; having a living will, where you will spend Christmas, have an evacuation kit, etc. but is there any purpose to worry about anything else? 

"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: 33-34

That's my plan and I am hoping to stick to it.  Does anyone else struggle with this? 

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For more Bible verses on worry and anxiety, click here.