Have you ever felt life was spinning out of control or flying by at the speed of light? You know, the feeling like it's all a whirlwind, and you are caught in the middle. It's the time when you don't quite know where to start or when to stop, so instead you just freeze, or freak out, or even run away from it all. This feeling is so stressful and even frightening at times.
I've found myself feeling caught up in life more often than I care to admit - it's ups and downs, to do lists that never end, and even a few curveballs I'm not expecting. And lately, this whirlwind really began wearing me down. Too often I take all that life dishes out on my own shoulders, and no matter how strong I think I am, I eventually begin to crumble under the pressure.
Recently, I did crumble. A simple text message I received was the thing that put me over the edge. It wasn't what the text said, but rather it was just one more thing I didn't have time to do. The tears started to fall and then they just wouldn't stop. All that I had been carrying lately, felt like it was going to swallow me whole as I sat and just cried and cried.
After a while, my husband, who, I should tell you, does NOT do well with teary, emotional anything EVER, came and started asking what I was so worked up about. My list went on and on in between more sobs until finally he looked at me and said, "Stop it! All you are doing is worrying! These are all things you can't control." As I attempted the beginnings of a pitiful rebuttal, he stopped me cold with these words: "I hear you preach and counsel others all the time about worry! What does the bible say about worry? You have to stop."
After recovering from the shock at what he said (my husband just doesn't say things like this), I slowly began to calm down. I began really thinking about his words. God knew I needed this reminder right in this moment and he definitely got my attention using my husband to deliver it. I know what God's word says about worry. In Matthew 6, Jesus himself tells us:
“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 than food, and the body more 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" He goes on to say, “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 6:25-27, 33-34
I am human and definitely imperfect to say the least. I tend to be a bit of a control freak and I try do things on my own. After taking some time to let these words from Matthew really sink in, I am reminded of God's grace and mercy, his endless love, and how He always meets me when I am at the end of myself, in the most perfect way. I'm grateful that no matter how stubborn I am, He finds a way, or in this case, a person, to remind me of His truth. I don't need to carry life's burdens on my shoulders. He carries me through it, walks by my side, and is the ever present help I need all the time! What a relief that truth is, especially when fear, pain, and a never-ending to do list begin to creep in on me and I find myself caught in a whirlwind.
It easy to get wrapped up in the day to day things of this world and the worries this life brings. My hope is that reading about this reminder God gave me a few days ago, you may also be encouraged to let go of your worry. Give it to God. He's got it all under control. Seriously, He created the universe - nothing is impossible when you think about it from that perspective. Just PRAY my friends. He hears each and every one of our prayers. Choose to be worry free today!
Until next time....
Lori
I appreciate you posting this blog. I feel many of us do this exact thing. We forget who is is control. The Lord. We know this. But we forget to allow him to take total control of the wheel and drive. We cannot both struggle with the the wheel at the same time and expect success to stay on the road. You must put your hands up and give it all to the him and say " Lord I fully trust you", " I give it all to you, and know you will direct me and my life where exactly it should go!" Difficulty of letting go of control, one of the hardest things to do. I'm a control freak. I have list, schedules, and when it used to go off the list- my anxiety and panic would shine through. But I've taught myself slowly that I don't have to control anything. The Lord has this. He doesn't need my help to do his job. I must trust him. Have full faith, give him my full faith. We are all along for the ride. Xoxo everyday is still a struggle, one day its easy, one day more difficult. Either way, I know in the end, its all going to be okay. My book was written by the Lord before I stood on this earth, and so was yours. You will be just fine. Your strong - not everything has to be perfect and so planned out. Sometimes those curve balls in life that seemed so scary in the beginning become blessings in the end. They make you a stronger, happier more fulfilled person. Be true to your Faith and yourself. I believe in you.
ReplyDeleteLove this, Lori!!!
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