I recently found myself in a comment "conversation" with another blogger about worrying. She made the comment that "hey, I could get hit by the beer truck tomorrow and it'd all be over anyway, so why worry, right? Still hard not to, though!"
I think the difference is that with the bus scenario, at least I wouldn't have time to worry. There I would be, walking down the street, minding my own business. And let's be honest, I'd probably be worrying about something completely different. Maybe the off-spring, my health, the health of the Man of the House, the economy, or biological warfare. Maybe I'd be worrying about where the beef for the burger I just ate actually came from. Was it treated humanely? how much bovine hormone and antibiotics did I take in with my bacon and cheese? not to mention the cheese. Oh, and the bacon. Whatever. You get the picture. I would be worrying about something. And then, out of nowhere - BAM!! Bus. And then none of the worrying about any of the rest of it would matter.
That's the point:
How much time do we spend worrying? How much of what we worry about never even happens? So we worried about - you guessed it - NOTHING! Worrying isn't going to stop the things that will happen from happening. And it isn't going to take care of them if they do happen.
So, sure, I could spend my days worrying about crime, super viruses, and a long list of other things. Or, I can try to stop worrying. I can focus on fixing or preventing the things I can do something about. And I can trust God to deal with the rest of it.
(Thanx to Cindy @ Everyday Underwear for the inspiration!)
Everyday Underwear? That is a brilliant name for a blog! Hahaha...love it!
ReplyDeleteI am not a worrier by nature, although I occasionally worry over a particular event or situation. I'm more of those UNDERworry types, someone who downplays even a big situation. When my doctor told me I might have thyroid cancer I looked it up...there was so much info, much of it good...that I thought "eh, my chances of it not being bad are really really good"...so, there was some worry, but not tons. I still worry, a little - in the back of my mind - about it returning or going to my lungs/bone (where it often spreads with my type of cancer), but it is the sort of worry that merely keeps me vigilant about changes in my health and it keeps me going back for blood tests, etc. I think there is some worry that is healthy and can be constructive, then there is the worry that overtakes you and becomes obsessive...that isn't so healthy.
*thumbs up* That's exactly what I was talking about! It's one thing to focus on things you can affect - like being vigilant about your health and getting needed tests. But it's not productive to just worry about things that may or may not happen.
DeleteThanks for liking the name of my blog - it truly felt inspired when I came up with it. Your user name makes me slightly afraid and slightly curious, which is an exciting combination ;0)
DeleteI just went through the thyroid cancer scare myself and did the exact same thing you did! I thought, "Well, of all the cancers I could have, that one sounds pretty good." LOL!
I try so very hard not to be a worrier but gosh it's tough, I am one of those people that thinks of several scenario's as to not be caught off guard and while doing that worry will set in and BLAM I am ran over with it. I read alot of positive quotes, scriptures, and the husband is a "don't sweat the small stuff guy" So yep I do some trusting in God also to help me not be over ran with WORRY.
ReplyDeletePhilippians 4:6 and Matthew 6:34. Perfect for those times of worry!
DeleteSo true (though hard to do sometimes) about not worrying and just trying to fix or prevent the things we worry about.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be one of THE hardest things to do, doesn't it?
DeleteHey, glad I inspired you on this subject and thanks for the shout-out! I used to be a horrible worry-wort. I inherited it from my grandma. Through a lot of introspection, I found how bad it was for me and slowly, over time, I have learned to do it less and less, mostly by attending the school of hard knocks, which sucks a lot, but is quite an effective teacher.
ReplyDeleteI think finally taking a hard look at how much I worry about and how much of it ever actually comes about is what has helped me start getting a handle on my worry. A little. I still have a long way to go!
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