Worry, Trust and God

These past three weeks have been a bit of a blur to me. Since I last wrote a blog I have been working through many things, including the loss of a sister-in-law. Though funeral services are usually very somber and sad events this one turned out to be a real celebration of her life. This service was unlike any I have ever attended. It is great to think that the short time we are on this earth can be remembered by our family and friends by looking back at all the good times, sharing stories and remembering what we loved about the person.

Of course since we are still in the midst of a pandemic, a lot of the attendees were virtual on a zoom call, but a limited number of us were able to attend in person. Imagine a service being held at a nature center in the midst of a place that was enjoyed regularly by my sister in law and her dogs. What an appropriate place to celebrate Lawana’s life on this earth. She will be missed by many because she was loved by many.

In the face of a death of someone younger than me, I begin to think more about what is important and what I want to change about my life to get the most out of this life before I go on to heaven. This life is temporary and sometimes way to short to waste time planning and working on things that don’t matter. I am still sorting through these thoughts but maybe that is something I should think about more often and not wait until a big event happens.

It also makes me think that some people are good at planning for the future in this life but the problem is that sometimes those plans are wiped out in an instant. When that happens we have to have something to fall back on. My back up plan for everything is God. I believe that God will get me through anything in this life. The real challenge is to not worry and trust God for help.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34 NIV

Worry tends to confuse our lives and add unnecessary stress on top of any stress we already experience daily. Worry is easy to engage when it feels like our plans have been destroyed. But every time this happens, after I stop and contemplate the situation, I find myself looking toward one scripture that keeps me going.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Trust is always the answer to worry. Putting our trust in God can give us the confidence to walk through any challenge of this life that causes stress. I pray that all of my readers are healthy and happy today, but if you are worrying about something that you can’t change, then try to spend some time in the Word and in prayer to get some answers. No matter how difficult this life gets there is always a way to get through it.

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

Enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.

Is that a Caterpillar or a Porcupine?

I love my grandchildren. My two youngest grandsons love bugs. So when I am outside and I see a bug I try to get a good picture of it and send it to them. I love taking pictures of different bugs and watching their reactions. Yesterday I saw a caterpillar in the freshly mowed grass. I ran into the house got my phone and took two pictures and a video of it for them. I sent it to my daughter and got a reply. “The kids want to know if it’s a caterpillar or a porcupine?” Of course I replied back “kinda small for a porcupine”.

Now to you and I it is obvious that it is a caterpillar but to a very young mind they see the prickly looking things on the body, they wonder and ask questions. We may laugh that they weren’t sure of the difference because we know there is a difference in shape and size of the two creatures. But the more important thing is that they weren’t sure so they asked. I love the inquisitiveness of youth.

Have you ever come upon something you didn’t know what it was and just had to ask a question to figure it out? Sometimes this can go well and the person you ask will explain it to you and sometimes it all goes wrong and the person you ask just makes fun of you for not knowing. I have had both reactions and it makes me more guarded about who I ask questions. One thing I have learned over the years is that I can always ask a question of God and never get an answer that makes me feel stupid or unwelcome.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

I take great comfort in this verse and I hope that you will too. Remember next time you are going through something you don’t understand you can always ask God. He will answer and guide you through.

Psalm 32:8 (NASB)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

I hope that you will enjoy your week and have a safe and happy Independence Day celebration this week. I will be spending time with family next week so I may not be able to write, but I will have more the week after.