Storms of Life

It was a beautiful day, and I was enjoying the sun on my face, the sounds of the cattle in the pasture and the time with my husband, who was fixing fence.  Then, on the horizon, a storm started to brew.  

I began to get a little bit anxious.  Should I run those library books to the truck to keep dry?  What about the wind...would it blow the papers around that I was reading?  I decided to pack them up.  Should we make a run for it, because the truck was quite a way down the field from us.  I kept watching those clouds with increasing anxiety.

Guess what!  The storm blew around us, the sun came back out and all was calm.

When I look at this picture, it reminds me of all the time in my life that I have wasted by anxiety.  When I thought about it, probably 2% of the stuff I fretted and worried about over the years ever actually came to pass.  Triggered by fear, I wondered exactly how many hours of my life I trashed by worrying over the other 98%!  If I had a magic calculator to figure it out, I'm sure that the number of wasted hours would be staggering.  

Jesus said,

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

He also said,

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:33-34).

So I guess the choice is mine, and yours.  Focus on the cloud ahead, fret, worry and fear.  Waste the minutes of our lives...OR focus on Jesus...and find peace.

"And he saith unto them, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith." Then he arose, rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."  (Matthew 8:26)

Great calm.  I can use a little bit more of that in my life...what about you? DLB