Friday, April 26, 2013

The Waste Of Worry


Scary...
It's not a word I used often until these last ten days. But when life, and health throws you and your precious loved ones up in the air it is a very uncomfortable feeling to be scared of the unknown, and the future.

Lori slept 11 hours straight last night and kicked her surgery caused diabetes insipidus right out of her. Life certainly looks better after a good night's sleep, and Lori had a great day of rest and healing.  Thank you all again for your prayers and support. She won't be walking the beach to Ki's with me this weekend, but maybe we will make it around the block a few times by Sunday. Lori told me she had the following post set to go out, which is quite apropos, considering the events of the last two weeks:

The Waste Of Worry

No one knows what the future holds, and our next breathe is not guaranteed. We are all spoiled by our modern health and sanitation systems, when just 100 years ago the average life expectancy was 51, and now it is 78. More than a 50% gain! 

The one thing most elderly people regret in life is the time they wasted worrying.  It completely takes away the joy of today and puts one's focus on something that may or may not happen.  The Bible commands us not to worry ~

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6,7

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 
Matthew 6:25-27

Indeed, from the vantage point of late life, many people felt that if given a single "do-over" in life, they would like to have all the time back they spent fretting anxiously about the future. {Karl Pillemer}

This survey of the elderly was taken by those who had endured the Great Depression and World War II, yet felt worry took away from their precious time that would have better been spent enjoying life and others.

I rarely listen to the news anymore.  I stopped reading doomsday blogs and articles about the future.  I have chosen to live one day at a time enjoying today for This is the day that the Lord hath made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

If hard times come, I know that God will take care of me.  He is my provider.  I will try to live simply and carefully but I will not worry about the future.  Every generation of all time has had cause to worry.  Life is scary if you choose to focus on the scary.

I don't think we are suppose to know who killed who and all about the terrible things happening in our world.  It is too much for our hearts to bear.  We all have enough trouble in our own little corner of the world.  Why should we focus on that instead of all the wonderful things God has blessed us with to enjoy?

Praise God for every day He blesses us with.  Enjoy life to the fullest.  Focus on the positive in others and in the world {and even in yourself.}  Until they put that tag on our toe we must  never lose hope, but instead "Praise God for whom ALL blessings flow!"