What? Me, Worry?

I don't know about you, but I struggle with worrying.  I've read so many things on the subject, listened to wonderful teachings and I have my faith. Yet, I still struggle with it. It's one of those areas in my life where I am still a WIP (Work In Progress).

Part of the problem is that I'm a thinker.  I analyze situations and try to plan ahead so that I can be prepared. The other part of the problem is that I'm a mom.  Moms always worry about their children and have no trouble imagining the ways they can get hurt.  (Any mom who's had a child ask for a skateboard knows this).

There are so many "what if's" in life.  It is difficult not to worry when faced with life's challenges, when we don't know what the future holds for our situation.

Sometimes when I "put in too much time" worrying, God reminds me of the verses in His word that He has had to remind me of over and over again. Matthew 6:25-26 says, "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your body, what to eat or drink or what to wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not reap or sow or store up in barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Sometimes His reminder is in a song on the radio, sometimes it shows up in my daily readings, and sometimes, like today, it shows up right in front of me.

I was outside walking the dogs this morning and listening to the birds sing. (I love to listen to them sing!) All of sudden I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.  We had rain overnight and there was a puddle in my yard.  There were two birds in the puddle, splashing and taking a bath. As I watched them, I knew. I knew He was reminding me.  If He can provide a bath for the birds, He can take care of me.

I know I need to just trust Him.  If I, as a parent who loves my children and wants to take care of their needs, then how much more will my Father in heaven want to take care of me? I need to let go of the worrying.  If I'm worrying, I'm not trusting.  More importantly, if I'm worrying, I'm missing out on today. I read somewhere that "today is the tomorrow that we worried about yesterday." Seems like such a waste of time, doesn't it?

I choose, today, to live for today and trust Him with my tomorrows.  And if I feel the need to start worrying again...I'm going birdwatching!