Why Worry?

Why worry? Don’t we all worry? Yes, we have to be concerned, to take thought for the future, but worry? Well, I’m doing my best not to.

May I tell you a story? I’ve got my own blog, so why not?

I was at a Ladies retreat. The speaker had given a lovely message about the love of the Father for his children, and casting all our cares on him because he cares for us. We all thought it was a lovely message. But then – God challenged us. He asked us to do it, there and then, to cast our cares on him.

So – what was I worrying about? Thank God I didn’t have any big worries. Did I have any? Then I remembered, when I got home I had to change the clocks, - back an hour. Changing clocks had always been my husband’s job, but now I was a widow I had to learn to be independent. I knew how to put them on an hour, but you weren’t supposed to just turn the hands backwards were you? Yes, I had to admit, I was worried about it. So right, Lord, I am casting this care on You. I am going to refuse to worry about it.

Such a stupid little thing to worry about, but the Lord cared about me, and so about my worries too. Home from the retreat, as I walked in my front door, I suddenly knew what to do. Take the batteries out for an hour, and then put them back an hour later.

That was my first lesson. The next one was harder, much, much harder. It concerned finance. I had made a foolish transaction and it seemed as if my savings were disappearing into a big black hole. But God had told me not to worry, but to cast my cares on him.

I knew I had to be obedient and must refuse to worry. For weeks I had to go on refusing this worry which would otherwise have consumed me and made me ill. I went to see a Christian solicitor who, I thought would sort it, but it seemed he hadn’t. Eventually I was put in touch with a lovely Christian financial advisor. She not only sorted this, but became a friend on whom I am able to download many other cares,because my heavenly Father cares for me.

So is that the end of my lessons on not worrying? God makes sure we have some revision. Remember I told you I felt as if I were drowning in technology? Well, I am still thrashing about in the deep end with my new computer. Instead of putting my manuscript on a floppy disc, I now had to condense it into a zip file to send by email and suddenly – it was lost! Years of work eaten by my computer?

Pauline! What about casting your cares?

My computer has a mind of its own. It was refusing to send the message I had pasted. Instead a poem came up. In the end I sent it, with an SOS for my friend to pray.

Wonderful technology and even more wonderful God. Within minutes I felt a prompting to try again to look for the missing files. There they were, safe and sound.

I’m sure God will have to remind me, again and again, not to worry but to cast my anxious cares on him, but I am writing this because I know many of you have cares and anxieties much scarier than mine. I trust that, with me, you will refuse to worry, but cast your cares and see God doing wonderful things for you too.