HAH! Shall we not. Simply the words: worry, fear, and anxiety ignite this type of angst that is very seldomly hushed deep within. And if you're anything like me, in the presence of anxiety your body REVOLTS. Appetite? What is that? Stomach aches to the point of nausea? Yup. It happens. Worry and anxiety is something that has become all too real for me in these past months, and it's a battle I face every night going to bed, and every morning seeing a new day. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to God every morning seeing a new day, but my prayer has stayed consist throughout this time "Lord help me to face fear in the eye and show it Your face. For You know how to conquer it way better than I."
I started a new devotional not too long ago, and admittedly so, I'm not the best at keeping consistent with it. But isn't it so funny how the Lord reveals to you the things you need in that exact moment! Not the first time you've hear that, eh? BRAIN BLAST: THAT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE!
The devotional I began is a journaling devotional All in All written by Sophie Hudson. (The cover, the fact it was a journaling devotional, and the authors named really brought that one home for me). Like I mentioned, I havent been consistent so I'm only on day 13, but what do you know...in the first couple lines she writes, "sometimes I get really worried about what's down the road." HAHAHA! You do what??? That's crazy talk...who even does tha---------ME. ME. I DO THAT. And if you're like me, you probably do that too. Lately it's been, what am I going to when I'm done with grad school? Will I actually be 26 and STILL SINGLE? Am I even going to make it through grad school? Rent is due in another month (yeah that doesn't stop) am I going to get enough hours at work to make it?
Continuing on with day 13, she mentions what her pastor said at church and it is as clear as the day is night, yall. He says "Stay out of the future. [For clarification sake] Stay. Out. Of. The. Future."
It's not our job to worry about what's down the road. As she says, worrying about the future shows our mistrust and lack of faith in Lord. Because whether we open our eyes to it or not, He is good in all things. He knows our hearts, he knows our worries, and giiiiiiirl (or boooooooy) does he know our fears. Sometimes He likes to reveal them to us. And yes, yes it is a test. Where will you eyes and heart lay in the midst of it all?
...BRB. Bout to take a test I stopped studying for when I started writing this (LET'S WATCH JESUS WORK, YALL).....
Continuing on from my previous thought, Jesus is stronger and greater in it all. Rent, it's been met. Test? Made an A. Two years from now? Will reveal itself two years from now. It's been promised and guess what? It's already been planned! It's out of my hands. (Which is beautiful but also explains the anxiety part of things.....lolz....still human).
One of the best parts in this devotional is the questions that follow. You can write about them, meditate about them, pray about them, etc. The questions that follow for this one is:
- On a scale of 1-5 how big of an issue is worry for you?
- What are you trying to control when you worry?
- Write out, doodle, draw, Matt. 6:34.
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| "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself..." Sidebar: didn't draw this. Thank you, Pinterest. |
I'm making it a goal and priority to keep these questions in my mind today, and the days that follow so when I get placed in the presences of my worries and fears, I will replace it with my faith.
FOR YOUR INFO:
For your info: here's the devotional I was referring to. Check it out at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Apple iBooks.