I page through my journal looking for encouraging words to share here, but I find I’ve spent a lot of time worrying lately.
The funny thing is I wrote a book called Refuse to be Afraid, and here I’ve been — perhaps afraid is the wrong word, but I definitely needed to read my own book, the one packed with quotes like Tom Petty’s immortal observation, “Most things I worry about never happen anyway.”
I got so anxious that I wrote, in big letters, Jesus’ gentle chastisement, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” and then copied from my favorite passage in Matthew —
“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.”
And wouldn’t you know it, God and God’s people came to my rescue to ensure that what I was worried about didn’t happen anyway. Someday, when I can put my gratitude into proper words, I will tell that story, but for now I remain overwhelmed.
There is always a path through the storm; there is always a sunrise after the dark. Sometimes the path is as simple as humbling yourself and admitting, “I need help.”
