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"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."- John 14:27
Why yes I am a worrier. I worry about things I have no control over. I worry about things that have nothing to do with me. I worry about a lot of things.(Yeap, I'm the one that triple checks to make sure the oven, stove, hair straightener are all turned off.) I come from a generation of worriers. My grandma was a worrier, my mom is a worrier, so naturally I guess I was destined to be one as well.
We have always been told that everything happens for a reason and according to God's plan; yet, at times that doesn't make it any easier. There will always be situations that somehow manage to consume us. I remember of a time where worry was consuming my thoughts so much that I even had a dream about the situation. No matter how much I prayed, my heart could not be settled nor my mind calmed. It was at that point that I realized I needed to call a friend that placed her number one priority on faith. For 45 minutes, this sweet friend used her wise words and scripture for why we must trust in God's plan.
After our discussion, I was reflecting on why I had struggled to trust in God. Why had I chosen to worry about a situation I ultimately had no control over? All of the scripture and prayers I had read and said that week, God was trying to tell me to relax and let him take control but I was choosing not to listen or trust. Luckily, God blessed me with an amazing friend that served as a messenger. Her words warmed my heart and calmed my soul. We should all be thankful God placed Godly friends in our lives for when seas get rough and we struggle to see the shore. They are there to remind us that Jesus calms the seas and serve as messengers when we are too stubborn to listen.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1
In closing, I choose to end with this great example. At a dinner with friends a few weeks ago, I heard an amazing story of God's plan. A friend of mine has lived in Raleigh for over a year and had recently moved into a new condo downtown. However, for this year, he has struggled to understand why his previous home was not selling. Well, on the day he moved into his condo, a box set on the stove accidentally turned on the burner causing a small fire and lots of damage to the condo. Guess what saved him... his insurance policy that covered the house that had not been sold yet. God's plan is always greater than ours and sometimes as much as we don't want to, we must trust in Him. My friend had worried and worried about why his old house was not selling, but now we know the reason. After he shared this story, i looked around at our dinner group and everyone was smiling because everything finally made sense and reinforced that GOD IS SO GREAT!
"She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future." -Proverbs 31:25
Whether we are the one worrying or the one listening to another worry, let us choose to remind ourselves and others about trusting in a plan and fearing less. It's comforting to know that someone else is ultimately in control. Let us be the ones like my sweet friend who listen and comfort, show kindness and compassion, and reinforce our faith based beliefs. I know I am in a much better place because I have someone looking over me and planning my paths for my footsteps to follow. Let us all be clothed with strength and dignity as we face each day's challenges and worries.
As always, many thanks for reading my blog! Hope everyone has a great Easter! -J