I come from a long line of professional worriers. I used to worry about everything. I would fret over snowfall before it snowed, and driving in rainstorms when I was comfortable and dry in my home.
A few years ago, something changed. As family issues escalated, my worry became compulsive. The constant swirling of concern instigated anxiety. Anxiety comes with physical reactions, such as chest pain, severe digestive problems, headaches, and insomnia. Even with those ailments, I still allowed my worry to evolve.
One day while seeking emergency medical care for a racing heart, I collapsed in the facility hallway. Everything went black, and I went down. It was determined my body shut down due to the stress I was living with at the time. My blood pressure was crazy, even my glucose was off the charts.
Given that my body was now physically responding to pressure, I had to evolve my response and reaction to worry. It is a hard battle. Like most things in my life, it took God to get me to a better place. His word was the catalyst to my change.
“Do not worry about your life..” It was the phrase that opened my eyes. I learned how excessive worry was. In most circumstances, there is no control to change anything. My concern about other people was ridiculous because I can’t change them. There was no reason to worry about my health; I had to be about the business of correcting it. I couldn’t worry about finances, because at the end of the day God provides all I need. I have a home, clothes, food, family (even if they drive me crazy) and love. I no longer worry about my mental health because I have surrendered myself 100% into the care of my Father.
We are valuable to God, and in our surrender and release of our lives to God, we must include our worry. If worry adds nothing positive to our experience, including time, and changes nothing in our life, then why are we so engaged in it? I prefer to live for today, to push apprehension aside and concentrate on my blessings. Worry builds barriers against my ability to pray in faith and promotes a position of fear. I won’t have it.
If you need to surrender your stronghold of worry, I encourage you to do it right now. Write your problem down and shred it, burn it, or throw it in the wind, but LET IT GO! Your thoughts are your thoughts, and you control what flows from them. Make today a new day of hope.
Authentic Truths 