“Don’t worry” is easier said than done isn’t it? I was a huge worrier when I was in high school and college — I clung to the words of Matthew 6 and Philippians 4 and tried and tried to put them into practice.
But I was constantly plagued by the “WHAT IF??” question.
This week I’ve been helping lead our Vacation Bible School program at my church, and one of the days we talked about how worry is like friction. It slows us down. It makes life bumpy. It grips onto us. It keeps us from moving forward.
Image courtesy of Group Publishing
We taught the kids that Jesus can rescue us from the friction of worry. As leaders we even experienced a lot of “what if” moments this week, as we ended up with WAY more kids at our program than we’d expected.
What if we run out of craft supplies? What if we don’t have enough leaders for all these kids? What if…
But you know what? We made the choice to not let those worries hold us back or slow us down. We made plans to overcome our obstacles (for example, finding someone to run to the Christian bookstore an hour away to pick up more supplies…).
The “what if’s” will come. Sometimes daily. But we can choose to keep moving forward.
Five Minute Friday is a weekly opportunity to simply write about one word for five minutes flat, and link-up what you’ve written, to connect with other writers.
“Worry is like friction”- I ‘ve never thought of it like that before but it’s true- it definitely slows us down and holds us back. So important to learn to trust God in the midst of the uncertainty and the what if’s! Visiting from FMF#6.
Yes, the what if’s do come – but God has an answer. Just like those supplies:) Hope you had a wonderful week and God will continue to bless from the efforts of VBS!
My favorite saying about Worry is that worry is a form of meditation, but it’s the meditative focus on the worst things instead of the best.
This is such a great reminder for redirection!
Hi Carrie, I’ve never visited your blog before but was very glad to do so today. Boy, do I ever relate to your words. I am the Best Worrier ever – always scanning the horizon for possible problems, rehearsing everything over and over in advance to try to cover all angles. And that can be a good thing because in practical ways (like at your VBS) you have a plan. But yes, worry can also be like friction that slows our progress. Thanks for your encouraging words.
Jeannie (#42 in this week’s linkup)
I love the positive outlook…and the opportunity to inculcate children with that sunniness! Great post.
#1 at FMF this week.