I awoke in a cycle of worry this morning. Some days start like that. It is the same worry loop my mind runs through, has been running through for several years now. It is familiar to me like an old song. In the days of phonographs and records sometimes there used to be a skip in a record and you would have to go over and reset it back into the right groove or else start it all over again from the beginning. I realise that I have to explain that, and it is funny to me having grown up before the era of CD's.
Sometimes worry is like that old song, that groove in the record. But I am tired of that song. I made a decision this morning to reset the record. I got up and got dressed in the dark and went out and walked. I put my IPOD on "Praise" and as I listened to songs like...."All of Creation" by Mercy Me, and watched the sky fill up with glorious color, the color of the Master Artist. By the second time around the park, I noticed something start to happen. My spirits were lifting. I was not so worried anymore.
They were being choked out by the praise!
When you fill up your mind with praise to Him, it tends to crowd everything else out. My circumstances didn't change, the worries are still there, but God is covering them now with promises from His word. Instead of listening the recording in my head, I listen to what God says. He says: "Don't worry!" He said it often because He knew we would be a recurring problem for us.
I thought another thing this morning too. During Christmas, I tend to put worry and stress on hold and just focus on Christmas and the wonder and joy of it all. Christmas is for me a timeout from all that, a chance to focus on something else. When it is over I tend to go back to my worrisome ways. But why can't I adapt a Christmas attitude all year long? Well, God says I can!
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:27
Jesus had to walk a lonely road to Calvary for us. Sometimes its the small calvaries in life that get to us. But when we look to Him and keep walking, He will reward us with His hope, His joy, His victory.
If the world is threatening to choke out the Word in your life today, don't despair. He will come, He will see you through, one step at a time!
photo from my iphone
"But why can't I adapt a Christmas attitude all year long? Well, God says I can!"
ReplyDeleteThere are joys in every crevice--today the little bits of snow falling from the sky (an unexpected snow day), the music I hear as I am reading your blog, the laughter of my husband as he tries to plant his cold hands on my skin, chocolate from Christmas, my work out, my friends--the joys are innumerable once we start listing them.
Amen to that! Thank you and may God richly bless you, yes the joys are innumerable! Lori
ReplyDeleteGreat attitude Lori. I love the line 'they were choked out by praise'. It's amazing how these worries take on a life of their own and just grow and grow. Giving praise sets everything into perspective and gives us the assurance that we are being taken care of. Let's pray for eachother - I'm a worrier as well.
ReplyDeleteAndie
Hey Andie, that's a deal, everytime I start to worry I will pray for you and you can do the same for me, that way we will be covered! Thank you, here's to a New Year with less worrying! Lori
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