A military chaplain once created a “Worry Table” based upon the problems men and women brought him throughout his years of service. He found their worries fit into the following categories:
- Worries about things that never happened — 40%
- Worries about past, unchangeable decisions — 30%
- Worries about illness that never happened — 12 %
- Worries about adult children and friends (who were able to take care of themselves) –10%
- Worries about real problems — 8%
According to his chart, 92% of all our worries are about things we can’t control — things that are better left alone to solve themselves. The truth is , anxiety multiplies when these worries are our focus.
For people of faith, we sometimes forget He is big enough and caring enough. He can help with our problems, giving us the desires of our hearts, while keeping our loved ones from harm. God is that awesome.
Once we remember his character, we can easily see how we worry for nothing most of the time. God is more than big enough and cares more than enough to help us, bless us, and protect us. Give your worries to Him and He will replace them with His peace. That’s what faith is all about.
(Inspired by God’s Little Devotional Journal for Women –Honor Books– 2000.)
Time and patience heal so many things. In 1977, I spent some time working for a veterinarian. He had an interesting way of looking at illness and pets. According to this seasoned professional, 90% of illnesses in pets will resolve themselves with little or no human intervention. Of the remaining 10%, 75% of those will improve with intervention and 25% may be too ill or injured to survive.
So many times, frantic pet owners would call deep in worry, when, with patience and time, the animal would heal on its own. It’s the 10% of “What If’s” that nail us every time, either with our pets, or our own lives. Remember, if in doubt, alleviate your worries and call the vet.
Everyone wants a quick fix through the hard times. A magical elixir that will make everything better in minutes. An easy answer to the pain caused by our grief. There are just some worries that have no immediate answer. The journey through the wilderness of widowhood is a brutal one. There is no way to cheat time when you’re struggling through. When the sunshine breaks through for a little while, put down your load and rest. Take time to breathe. With patience, it’s one foot in front of the other. With perseverance you’ll make it to the other side in time.
Whatever you do this weekend, take time to unplug and enjoy some quiet moments. Remember, you’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in life and most of them never ended up happening. Try five minutes without worry. It’ll do your heart and soul some good! Tonight, Give It To God and Go To Sleep.
Have a wonderful weekend. I’ll be back on Monday.