| I have always considered myself "the designated | | | | Worry is defined by Webster as "to afflict with mental |
| worrier" in my family. I worried about | | | | distress or agitation: make anxious". It ALSO means |
| everything....were the windows locked at night, were | | | | "to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping, especially at |
| the cats inside? In fact, I can remember that in 6th | | | | the throat". YIKES! |
| grade (when we were learning about marijuana and | | | | Worry is also a sin. Did you know that? It's one of |
| heroin) that I fretted that while I walked to school, | | | | those "respectable sins" that we tolerate, according |
| someone was going to jump out from behind a bush, | | | | to Pastor Mike Rima, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. "To |
| stick me with a needle and I'd be forever addicted. | | | | worry, is to accuse God of neglect and calls into |
| When my kids were babes, I worried about dogs | | | | question his competence". |
| biting them, kidnappers running off with them, car | | | | To worry is to assume a responsibility that is not |
| accidents, SWING accidents - you name it, I worried | | | | necessarily ours to assume. But sometimes we feel |
| about it. And of course, I worried a lot while caring | | | | guilty for NOT taking on the worrying role. It feels |
| for my father. | | | | that if we don't worry, then we are not caring as much |
| I have to relay this one story. I'm an R.N. and for | | | | as we think we should. Sometimes it seems as |
| many years worked in the NICU with babies. You | | | | though it gives us more credibility: "Yes, Mom is very |
| would think that an R.N. would be very calm with her | | | | worried!" In reality, the worrying doesn't change |
| own children, but NO, it only gave me more to worry | | | | anything and may in fact make matters worse by |
| about. | | | | causing us not to take action against that which is |
| My daughter, who was about 14 months at the | | | | worrying us. |
| time, had a virus. I put her in the bath tub to get her | | | | God has given us permission not to worry. In fact, he |
| temperature down and was drying her off after | | | | has commanded it. In Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), it is |
| getting her out of the water. She began to shiver. | | | | written "Do not be anxious about anything, but in |
| "She's having a seizure!" I yelled to my husband, "Call | | | | everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, |
| 911!" My husband calmly said to me................."she's | | | | present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of |
| cold". Oh. Yeah. | | | | God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your |
| But I digress. | | | | hearts and your minds." |
| Worrying is not good. It's not good for the body; it's | | | | You have God's permission not to worry and now you |
| not good for the soul. Worry causes the body to | | | | have mine. (Of course, mine is not as important, but |
| produce stress hormones and causes untoward | | | | it's there.) When you feel the worry coming on, go for |
| affects such as high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, | | | | a walk (See my post on Walk Away Your Worries ), |
| headaches, fast heart rate, asthma, irritability and lack | | | | meditate, exercise, write in your gratitude journal or |
| of sleep. Unfortunately it is one of the emotions that | | | | your daily journal, dance, put on your "Go To" song, call |
| caregivers experience frequently. But most of | | | | a friend (but don't put your worries on them), smack |
| the things that we worry about don't come true or are | | | | the pillows, cry and -- turn your worries over to |
| out of our control. We must become intentional about | | | | God. |
| not worrying. | | | | |