Remember waaaay back to your first date? I was SO excited when Dan T. asked me to the senior banquet! And then I panicked. Oh no! The front seat of his car is a bench seat. Where do I sit?
The happy butterflies quickly morphed into the urge to barf.
With not enough time to consult Ann Landers, I immediately sought counsel from my wise friends. If I sit right next to him, we reasoned, it might be too forward. But if I sit next to the door, I might seem aloof. My anxiety hit the roof as we continued to deliberate.
That evening I felt a gentle nudge. “Welby, have you prayed about it?”
Wow. God is even concerned about things like this. So I did. Funny, but I felt a little better.
The next day a unanimous verdict finally came in from the friends: I would sit right where the glove box ended. Sort of in the middle. So relieved! We finally had it all figured out.
Or so I thought.
As the day grew nearer, I still wrestled with worry. All the what-if’s! Funny how our brains can generate such a menagerie of wild scenarios!
If only I had something I could DO instead of worry.
Well, date night finally came, and I was as ready as I could be. So grateful that at least I knew the Lord was with me.
Heart pounding and deodorant failing, I saw his car approach. He was halfway up the driveway when I realized it was a different car! Greeting me he explained that he borrowed the car from a friend. He opened the door for me, and as I climbed in I burst out laughing!
This car had bucket seats!
Well, now that I’ve had about a hundred years to laugh, and reflect, I’ve learned a few things. Whether a first date or something life threatening – or anything in between – we all wrestle with worry.
We know it’s not helpful, and most of us are familiar with all the clever sayings. But other than attempting to just reason it away, is there actually something I can DO to help triumph over the anxiety?
The Apostle Paul answered that question as he wrote this from prison, suffering for his faith in Jesus. In the middle of his life threatening fear he wrote: “Do not be anxious about anything, but…”
“but” – but WHAT???
Here it is:
“BUT, in every situation, by prayer…. with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
In the moment when we’re overwhelmed and can’t see any hope, we can PRAY and GIVE THANKS to our loving, wise, gracious, all-powerful God!
I also love these Worry Wort antidotes:
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” (Isaiah 26:3)
Here are 3 things I’ve learned:
1. It’s not just “saying a prayer” or “giving thanks,” but it’s the relationship – connecting with God – that’s the true treasure.
2. Remember that praying to the Lord and thanking Him are not a substitute for healthcare interventions. However, our relationship with Him IS the CORE of everything else we need.
3. And the best news, the triumphant promise:
“Then [after you pray and give thanks] you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Yay! That’s one less wort to worry about. 😀
