Worry.


Did you know that sunflowers follow the direction of the sun so that they can bask in it all day long? It's called Heliotropism (big word for me, I know), I believe other flowers do it as well.
I guess I didn't realize that till I heard it on K-LOVE, and I just thought it was pretty cool! 

Bear with me, I do have a point in all this... 

I am worrier, plain and simple.  I always have been.
For example: In elementary school, I was so worried that if I went to a friend's house for a sleepover, that something bad would happen to my family while I was away.  I don't know where that came from, but it gave me anxiety, so I wouldn't go.  Or I would go, and then end up going home because I was too consumed by worry (no, it wasn't because I was nervous that people wouldn't like my Jasmine & Aladdin pajamas). 
Super irrational, I realize this now. 
I could go on with stories like this, because there are many,  but I won't.  
I won't go into the time that I was really worried about tornadoes, so I watched Twister every day just so I could understand them more (that and I had a crush on Bill Paxton, don't judge) ...but I digress.  
The point is, I tend to think that my worrying will help control the situation at hand, when all it really does is get me worked up and makes things worse and actually, it just ends up paralyzing me.

This is an on-going struggle for me and a constant work in progress.  One of the things I try to do when I find myself getting consumed by worry, is meditate on a Bible verse.  I have a few that I like to focus on, such as: 

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" ~ Isaiah 26:3

"Submit yourselves, then to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." ~ James 4: 7-8

"When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2

I know this may sound simple, but you will be amazed at how changing your focus to Christ can make a huge change, mentally and physically - for those of you who deal with worry and anxiety, you know what I mean when I say "physically".  Anxiety can be a nasty little bugger. 
It is so awesome how keeping your thoughts focused on the Creator can bring you an overwhelming peace. 
Which brings me back to the good ol' sunflowers.  We can learn something from them - keeping our eyes focused on what's above and following that throughout our day.  In their case it's staying focused on the sun, in our case it's fixing our eyes on the Son. 
Worrying is not going to fix the future, it is not going to bring me gain, in fact, it's only going to drain me of my joy.
I refuse to let my joy be stolen by worry ~ I choose to keep my thoughts fixed on things above.

What do you do to combat worry? 

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" ~ Luke 12:25




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