Worry

I am not a worrier by nature, but for the last few weeks something has been gnawing at me. Unlike people at the far end of the 'worry spectrum' who can get carried away with what ifs that bear little resemblance to the facts or possibilities of their real life, my concerns are justified.

They have evolved through my own observations and those of others that I trust. Where there is smoke, there is generally fire, so I know there is 'something' going on. At this point I am just not sure what the 'something' is.

I heard a sermon series once called "The Waiting Room." It described that period in our lives when we are waiting (for what usually feels like an indefinite period) for someone to walk through the door with a clipboard or a phone call, package or email to arrive with information we have been seeking. A verdict, a job offer, a proposal, a diagnosis...

The question worth pondering is: What do we do in the waiting room. Do we distract ourselves with mindless games? Do we talk to others in our similar state? Do we work on something else we have brought along so the time doesn't feel 'wasted?' Do we stare at the wall and imagine all the different scenarios that may await us? Honestly, I tend to do a little of all of the above with prayer sprinkled in.

The reality is that we spend much of our lives in one type of waiting room or another. I am quite certain God doesn't want us to fritter that time away. It is a part of life He has ordained. I was convicted this morning about my own waiting room behavior and this passage from James came to mind:

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who ‘worry their prayers’ are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.” James 1:6-8 (MSG)

My hope for today is to pray boldly...not like a worried, wind whipped wave.

I love the promise that we will receive God's help without condescension--a model I would do well to follow in my parenting.

Looks like a little time in the Word has left me with a challenging To Do list for today. :-)