Please don't take offense. But if you understand the vernacular of cowboys, you'll understand the line that's about to come. I heard about a cowboy not too long ago who said he'd rather be horseback riding and roping than doing anything else. And what caught my attention was what he had to say about the inherent problem within most of us human creatures of not taking life one day at a time as only that cowboy could maybe do. Here's what he said: “When ya’ got one foot in yesterday and the other foot in tomorrow, yer’ messin’ all over today.”
Just lay the cowboy vernacular aside. Believe me, that’s the truth. I've come to believe that too often we’re paralyzed by a past we can’t change and fret over a future we can’t control. The word for that is one you know - “worry”. And if you’re anything like me, you sometimes find yourself doing a bit too much of it. I think that worry is rather like a rocking chair. It gives us something to do, but it doesn’t get us anywhere. Worry is counter-productive and won’t add a single minute to our lives. In fact, if medical studies are accurate, worry may well shorten our life.
You probably already know from personal experience that worry is associated with stress. And stress is associated with elevated adrenaline levels in our body. In God’s design, adrenaline is for emergencies; for crisis situations that demand a “fight or flight” response. But in our western culture we’ve made “emergencies” out of many routine situations. So much so that many of us live each day as though we are on an adrenaline drip. When we continually spend a dollar’s worth of adrenaline on ten cent problems, our minds and bodies pay a price.
Our heads may know that worry is an exercise in futility. But honestly, when life presses in and puts the squeeze on, a Hallmark card telling us to “take life one day at a time” isn’t all that comforting. Maybe you’re worried about your children. Maybe it’s a chronic health problem that has worn you to a frazzle. Maybe it’s a bad church experience that has left you wondering how to sort the truth from the trappings. Maybe your career has lost its luster and you’re wondering what to do with your life. Maybe you’re experiencing a loneliness of the soul that cannot be expressed. Maybe you’re grieving the loss of a friend or family member. Whatever worries you, weighs on you.
There are times in my life when I catch myself worrying just a tad bit too much. In those moments, the usual pressures of life get magnified quite a bit. I find myself somewhat at odds with Jesus’ practical advice. “Don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.” (Matthew 6:34) And when I stop to think about my attitude and my worry, there is only one conclusion. I'm not trusting that God will take care of me.
So I picked up on a practical little thing to do. I encourage you to do it, too. Right now. Grab any piece of paper in front of you and for 60 seconds (no longer) write down as many blessings in your life as you can think of. Don’t ponder them and don’t edit your list. Just write as many as you can as fast as you can. Ready? Go.
Now flip the paper over. On this side take 60 seconds (no longer) to write down as many worries as you can. Whatever’s weighing heavy on your head and heart, jot it down. Ready? Go.
When you’re finished, look at your list of blessings and ask yourself this question: “Is there anything on this list that I have ever worried about in some form or fashion?”
I bet there is. My list of blessings was loaded with items that I’d worried about at one time or another. The point is, if the items on our blessing list used to be on our worry list, then it’s tangible proof that God takes care of us. On His timetable and in His way, yet tangible proof that God can be trusted with the details of our lives.
There is a piece of Jewish wisdom that goes like this, “Do not worry over tomorrow’s evils, for you know not what today will bring forth. Perhaps tomorrow you will not be alive and you will have worried for a world that will not be yours.”
Whatever stress you’re staring at this week, start by getting both feet in today. There’s enough trouble to kick around without borrowing trouble from a tomorrow that may not come.
Oh, and remember...God will take care of you. Those items on your blessing list that used to be on your worry list are proof of that.
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