This post especially spoke to me. It is by Karen Ehman
"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Proverbs 31:25 (NIV)
I think I have the
worry gene. And I'm sure I got it from my mother. She passed down her
aqua blue eyes to me, her slightly-crooked smile and her tendency to
worry.
This trait didn't show
up when I was younger. In fact, when I was a teenager, I thought it
strange that my mom couldn't go to sleep until I got home. Then, I had
teenagers of my own, and now I do what she did: sit on the couch
appearing to watch television, while my mind rehearses the quickest
route to the hospital, or perhaps even plans a funeral.
Before I had children, I
didn't understand the stories my mom shared about her concerns for my
health. When I was a toddler, she took me to the doctor because I kept
falling when I walked. After observing me play in his office, he assured
her that my mind was working faster than my legs. I wanted one object
and headed toward it, but then changed my mind and wanted something
else.
You'd think the story
would have calmed my own fears when I became a mom. Not so. When my
first-born was more than a year old and not yet crawling, I was certain
something was medically wrong and headed to the doctor.
Today, I find endless
reasons to worry. Kids. Marriage. Finances. Health. Relationships. The
future. If I let my thoughts run wild, I can concoct all sorts of
terrible scenarios, all starting with "what if." What if my husband
gets laid off? What if my aging parent needs to move into a nursing home
or live with us? What if I get sick and can no longer care for my
family?
Over time, I've noticed
something about worry: 99% of my past dreads never came true. However, I
spent oodles of time fretting about them. How I wish I could redeem
that time, to do something productive instead! What if I had turned my
worry into worship?
Contrast my attitude with the woman in today's key verse, Proverbs 31:25 says, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."
No weariness in her thoughts and actions. She laughed at the days to
come! Not in a careless sort of way, but with a confidence that came
from God.
Because she wore
strength and dignity due to her faith in God, she had a smile on her
face and a chuckle in her heart when considering the future. She trusted
in God, whose faithfulness in the past assured her He would work out
circumstances in the future.
This has happened many
times in my life. Often, things that concerned me have turned out to be
blessings instead. For example, when our son was in third grade, we
discovered he had severe dyslexia. Oh, the time I spent worried about
his academic progress! Even fun milestones for other children were cause
for fretting. Would he pass his hunter safety course? His driver's ed written test? And what about college?
God used my son's
learning disability to grow my faith. As I learned to turn my panic into
fervent prayer and praise, and trust God's plan and timing, my
relationship with God strengthened. Plus, we saw our son grow stronger
and more confident as he overcame each cognitive hurdle.
That's just one way God
worked in me to replace my worry gene with confidence in Him. Each time
I've turned worry into worship, I find it easier to laugh at the days
to come, like my Proverbs 31 sister.
God knows my future as well as He knows me. My job is to seek to know Him more as I place my future in His hands.
Oh, and to laugh a little more often.
Dear Lord, help me
turn my worry into worship, believing that You alone know the future.
May I rest in Your loving arms, knowing You have my best interest at
heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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