Summer 2011 Bible Study: Week 2 Day 4

My husband and I are getting ready to go on a little vacation with his family and I truthfully cannot wait. Don’t worry, I will be bringing you all along with me. The Word will be in my purse and I cannot wait to meet with you while on vacation! It will be fabulous. But as we are getting ready to get ready, I seem to be more stressed out than normal. I am not sure why but I feel like everything has to get done tomorrow, all the packing, all the laundry, all the cleaning, all the dishes… and yet, we still have a few days before it is even time to pack. It is funny how things just get out of control in a matter of minutes within this head of mine. Sometimes I wonder if I really am mentally stable, I can go from calm to freaked out in no time at all. But, I have recently noticed that my craziness gets better the more time I spend in the Word. If I am in the Word and in chatting it up with Sweet Jesus in prayer, I am often better, things don’t get so nuts in my head, my emotions are more in check and my reality actually matches reality.

I am amazed at how much the little things get to me. I am amazed at how much easier it is for me to give the Lord the big things, like the issues of where we will live when we have to move out of this home, or what our futures have in store for us in terms of employment. Or better yet, what the future will bring my kids. But the little things, the daily things, the everyday issues, well, those ones, I keep. I keep them so close some times it is amazing I don’t choke. My head spins over the tiniest things I am surprised I can still walk straight. For example, yesterday, the house was a wreck, a load of dishes were in the dishwasher needing to be put away and there were dishes all over the kitchen. So many in fact that when I emptied the dishwasher, I filled it up again and still had another full load in the sink… train tracks and trains were all over the living room. The dining table was covered with mail, my purse, my husband’s hat and keys, Isaacs artwork, markers, more trains and more dirty dishes. There was three laundry baskets full of clean towels, sheets and socks that needed to be brought up stairs… and I was done, mentally. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I even cried. We don’t live in a large home, our townhome is cozy and nicely arranged, but we are living in every room in our house, so I just felt overwhelmed. Hence, the worry that came on. I couldn’t help but think about how we were going to get everything cleaned, put away and packed before we left in 4ish days. I couldn’t believe I had “allowed” the house to get this way and better yet, I couldn’t believe how tired I was from clearly not doing a single thing in the past few days pertaining to the house. I was overwhelmed with worry.

Oh, but Sweet Jesus is so good, just when I don’t think His Word could possibly talk about my day and house mess yesterday I am reminded of Matthew 6:25-34, so that is where we will be today.

Jesus, You are good, Your Word is good, Your timing is good and today is good. For this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad. Thank You for the creation You have displayed in front of me today. Thank You for the freedom that comes with Your love, mercy, grace, compassion and forgiveness. Teach me today. Speak to my heart today, and bring forth change in me. Amen.

Turn with me to Matthew 6:25-34

Take a few minutes to read over these Words. If you are anything like me, you might have to read over them more than once.

Our Sweet Jesus tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink or about our body… which I am sure the eat or drink part is easier for most, but not to worry about our bodies is a little more challenging. I know that Jesus talks about what we will wear, but I firmly believe He is also talking about our appearance. I know, that most of us have struggled with our bodies at one time or another. Either we have dieted, tried to lose weight, tried to look different with more make up or changed the color of our hair. And in all of that, we lose sight of Him, the very image that was use to create us. We are told that we were created in His image, and yet, at times, we will stop at nothing to change our image. I often have a hard time getting past the first verse of this scripture, because worry is such a strong hold for me.

It boils down to trust. For me, it comes down to a simple question, “Do I trust that my Sweet Jesus is who He says He is?”… and some days my answer is yes and other days, like yesterday, my answer is no, and I find myself all tied up in an emotional ball of worry. It all starts with the worry of that there isn’t enough hours in the day. And then I find myself in verses 26 and 27.

The Lord provides for the birds of the air, and He will provide for me. He will not allow me, my husband or our children to go without. He simply won’t allow it. He has put people in our lives that would open their home to us in a minute if we ever got there. He has taught me how to cook and coupon like never before. He has given us, as a family, a roof over our head that is currently a little messy. But I continue to read on… and my Sweet Jesus asks me as simple question, “Can you add a single hour to your life by worrying about all the “stuff” you have to get done?”

And as I read on I come to find that He has all of this taken care of. My son adores the fact that his trains and train tracks are spread out all over the place, my husband could care less if we eat on paper or real dishes. The very thing that matters the most is to seek HIS kingdom first. I need to attend to HIS kingdom, HIS relationship with me, HIS Word first, and all others can come after.

Our Sweet Jesus sees everything that goes on in the World. He knows the struggles of those in Joplin, He knows the hurt of those in poverty, He sees the seriously ill and meets them where they are when we can’t and He even has the littlest detail of our daily lives under control.

He cares about our dirty dishes, He will take care of tomorrow and help us get done what we NEED to get done today. Most of all, He will give us peace in the midst of our worry and I adore that about Him. I really do. I adore that I can ask Him for peace when the little things seem to big.

Feel free to answer this question in a comment: do you worry about?

Lord, help me give every little detail of my life over to You. Even the littlest things that I don’t think I need to waste Your time with. Help me give You my dirty dishes and messy house, along with my broken heart, shattered dreams and frustrating relationships. Help me to seek You first in everything. Thank You for teaching me Your Word and the truth about my issues with worry. Take the big things and the little things, so that You can have complete control over my life. I trust You. Amen