An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (Proverbs, 12:25)
I have the type of personality that dwells on things – everything – to the point where sometimes I can’t sleep at night, and I’m up late just…dwelling. Small setbacks or issues make me anxious, and I’m frequently in a Chicken-Little-Sky-Is-Falling state of mind. I constantly try to remind myself that worrying does not accomplish anything, that I need to let it go. Usually, worrying and dwelling only ends up hurting myself, and keeps me from enjoying life to the fullest. This week, I was taught this lesson.
A close friend of mine just gave birth to her first child over the weekend. She was on bed rest for a month, and I really wanted to make sure I called her often. In this past week, I was extremely stressed out about an obstacle I’d hit, and although there wasn’t anything I could do about it, I just could not stop thinking about it. Day and night. I knew my friend was coming off bed rest and could give birth anytime, so I made a mental note to call her. Each day passed, and at the end of the day, I would remember that I had forgotten to call her, again. One day, I promised myself I would call her the next day, but when I got home that night, I saw an email that her water broke earlier that day. I had missed the chance to talk to her one last time before her life would change forever.
Now, I know in the grand scheme of things, this really isn’t a big deal, but, I really feel like I was taught 2 big lessons from this small incident.
- I cannot let my worrying, anxiousness, dwelling and overall negative “glass half empty” attitude keep me from doing the things that really matter.
- Do not put off friends and family until tomorrow!
25Therefore 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? 26Look 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? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:25-27)
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22)
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