It’s been a tumultuous couple months. Packing up the house, loading up the trailer, trips up the interstate to the new house. Lots of trips to the dump. Lots of Craigslist ads, yard sales, and plenty of trips to Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, and the Gospel Mission. And, outside of a few days of help from my dear in-laws and sister, packing and loading/unloading the trailer, I’ve been alone… we’ll not completely alone.
The “plan” has been to get the last items in the “old” house packed up, loaded in the trailer and finish up some house projects so the house can be sold — all while the rest of the family settles into our new home and new community. I miss them dearly — the kids jumping on my lap and their, “Hi, Dadda”, my wife, the family meals… yes, even the stress of unpacking. I miss the time together. And, I’m not crazy about being alone.
I’m a list maker and a planner. I often toss and turn all night thinking of what’s next on my list, the next project and how to execute it. Yet, the enormity of this move, the time crunch in which it’s being executed, and the ever changing priority has changed me. Some of it is surely the stress of moving and the magnitude of the task at hand. But, I suspect, and I’m even praying, some (if not most) of the change may become permanent. No, I’m not talking about the separation from loved ones or simply the move. I’m taking about my usual “planning” (okay, maybe even “plotting”, perhaps even “worry”).
For you see, for the first time in my life, I’ve given up. Not on life, but in controlling, planning my future. It’s not as if I don’t look forward to it — the future — but, rather, I’m not stressing about it. I can ONLY do what’s in front of me today — not what happened or didn’t happen yesterday, not what I have to do tomorrow, not next week or even next month. Some would call this peace… and I would agree.
It’s become more Matthew 6:34 than Jeremiah 29:11. If you’re not familiar with Jesus’ words from Matthew 6 (Matthew 6:25-34), here’s the gist in the BRV (Brad’s Realized Version):
Don’t worry. Don’t worry about anything — not what you’ll eat, not what you look like, not what you’ll wear. Life is more than this stuff. See that bird? Does it worry? Nope. God takes care of it. And, guess what? You’re worth more than birds. Worry… does it add anything to your life other than stress, does it add extra hours to your day, to your life?!
Flowers don’t worry about what they’ll wear. They don’t go to work or make clothes. Yet, I’ll tell you, not anyone, not even the model on the cover of that fashion magazine is dressed better than a flower. If Jesus is the creator of all nature — and it’s beautiful, don’t you agree? — and He can create and maintain the beauty of nature, can’t and won’t He take care of you? Come on, have a little faith. So, don’t worry about where you’re going to eat tonight, don’t worry about what you’re going to wear, for these are the ways of the world… And, your Heavenly Father knows what you need. So it’s simple, go to God first, trust Him, seek Him and all that He does (ALL He does is right, after all)… He’ll take care of the rest. Stated more simply, Don’t worry about tomorrow, tomorrow can worry about itself! The trouble of today is enough (and… pssst, I’m with you).
For the first time in my life I’m just focusing on today. I’m confident He’s right here, right beside me. I know that tomorrow will have it’s own challenges. But, today, He’s with me, guiding and taking care of me as I turn to Him. Why worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow has enough of its own trouble. (And, guess what? He’s got a plan… and it goes WAY beyond tomorrow.)