Yesterday as we dipped in and out of the ocean all day, I had an meandering conversation with my Mum talking about everything and nothing. We watched my babes build sand castles and rescue imaginary people with helicopters. We taught my little how to swim and not be afraid. We solved the world with every word, contemplating the complexity of human relationship.
One little quirk I noticed in my conversation is how many times we started our sentences with…
“I worry that…”
“I worry about…”
“I worry because…”
As two mothers chatting with decades of experience between us, one of the greatest struggles we were divulging was the impact of worry on our motherhood.
I am a dreamer, I spend much of my day thinking about the future. I play around with different ideas, I seek pastures of fulfilment, I spend a lot of my today in tomorrow.
As I look across the unfolding landscape of twenty sixteen, if I am really honest some really big dreams I have held for many, many years are coming to pass. In just a couple of months time I am going to Bangkok and Nepal, a dream that has laid dormant for decades. Most months of this year I have been invited to speak at events right around Australia including Darwin (which I have never visited before), Sydney and Melbourne. In October this year I turn forty and honestly I am so excited about the prospect of this opportunity because I simply have no regrets. I have lived my life wide and open, my today is honestly breathtakingly difficult and I am not ashamed to say I am living the life I have dreamed of.
With my littles in tow, with a beach shack that provides shelter, a community of friends and family who are my portion, a sense of contribution that is life defining. I am so grateful. I am more than grateful, I am completely overwhelmed at the goodness of God.
Despite this humbling perspective, I still worry.
Each invite to travel I get, I worry desperately about my children and whether enough is enough.
Each time I listen and document someone’s story, I play out the plotline across my own and I worry whether my life will take such a drastic turn.
I worry my son spends too much time with technology.
I worry whether his chicken nugget obsession will make him turn into one.
I worry if I am enough for my friends, my husband, my God…you get the picture.
And then I find a scripture like the one from Matthew 6:34, where Jesus encourages us to remain present in our today.
“So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
It sounds a little dark when you take it out of context, but across the whole passage, it is imploring us to trust that the Father of all, that the Creator of the universe, He is the one who brings all things together and is at work in our today.
So this year, rather than making decisions out of the handicap of worry, I am determined to change my language to one of trust. I am determined to shift my focus into one of gratitude for what is present in my today and every time I say that I worry about…
To shift my language and perspective to one of thanksgiving for what I have, rather than what could possibly happen.
For Today.
I am thankful.
For Today.
I am grateful.
For Today.
I will remain in the peace of his promise rather than the worry of tomorrow.
It is enough! You are right, all mother’s think the same way. I worry all the time about my children, even though they are adults.
Even though I trust God. Even though I think God is enough. I still worry. So is my faith enough? Is that what faith is? Trusting despite the fears and worries and insecurities?
Can we spend so much time worrying that we turn worries into our reality?
Changing our words can help change our perspective. I have a full life—not a busy life.
Life is an adventure instead of I have no idea what the heck is going to happen and I’m scared out of my brain.
Without being a Pollyanna and without disregarding the realities of life, I can live a life where I seek first and everything will be added to that. xxx
Thankyou so much Elaine. For your amazing encouragement
I cannot help but worry! I go to bed and I worry too..will we have enough money for retirement..will our children know their destiny and purpose in God in their lifetime? Will they all be OK…how are my little grandies going to cope with that big wide world out there? I worry here..and I worry there..and then my worry turns to fear..fears of this and fears of that..fear of what might happen to my family..fear of what is happening globally..I am consumed by fears…I toss and I turn…I cannot sleep..my restlessness unnerves me in every part of body and soul..arggh…I fall out of bed and hit my head..and God said “have you tortured yourself enough by your worries yet? What do I say about “worry”?” And I heard him say:
Don’t be anxious about anything
Pray..tell me your concerns and your requests
Be thankful. Trust me in your situation, I am trustworthy!
And my promise to you is to give you My peace..My peace which overrides your worries
We all struggle daily with worry..and I am no exception but I know from experience that “worry” does not change one thing about what I am worrying about. As Joyce Meyer says” Worrying is like a rocking chair: It gives you somethings to do (even in the middle of the night!) but gets you nowhere.
I am a work in progress.
“I will remain in the peace of his promise rather than the worry of tomorrow.”
Perfect! xx
Thanks lovely. Much much love
After a day spent worrying about future days, your words picked me up and planted me back in the present which made me smile, take a breath and say “I have more than enough”. Thank you for your magic ways!
Thankyou for writing to me, I am always so encouraged by people and their stories and their great courage.
XXOO
AMANDA