A Sore Neck and a Sunbeam
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall we drink?' Or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matt 6:31-34 NKJV)
I woke up this morning with a crick
in my neck from a worn out pillow and a crick in my spirit from a worried out
mind. For the past few days I had regressed into a determined pessimist staring
at the single mud hole in a field full of flowers. As we all sometimes do I had
foolishly allowed myself to worry about my life instead of trusting in God. I
had tried to live in the future instead of enjoying today. I had put off my
happiness until all my problems were gone instead of tackling each one of them
with faith, hope, and joy. All in all I had literally wasted two days of my
life.
I was still rubbing my sore neck as I walked to the garbage bin with the pillow.
As I opened the bin with a snarl, though, I felt a ray of warmth touch my face.
The sun had just risen over the trees and God had used its beams to give me a
gentle kiss on the cheek. I looked up as the light bathed my face and saw a
single bird soaring across the sky and flying into the sunrise. It was a sight
so beautiful that it filled me with God's love.
In that moment my soul went soaring to the heavens as well and I smiled again.
In that second love flowed from my heart and joy touched my spirit. In that
instant I felt full of faith and trust. I crumpled up my wasteful worries and
tossed them in the trash with that worn out pillow.
I looked towards the sky and asked God to forgive my foolishness. Then I
dedicated another day to doing His will, sharing His love, and spreading His
truth.
I only wish I hadn't wasted those 48 hours before I awoke again. Worry is an
insidious habit that sneaks back into our brains every chance it gets. It eats
away at our lives and drains us of our love. Sometimes God even needs a sore
neck and a sunbeam to awaken us from the nightmare that it brings to our days.
Keep your worry where it belongs then, in the trash.
Joseph J. Mazzella