by Rev Robert A Wendel
“I was glad and rejoiced in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.” “Do not be anxious about anything, but with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Psalm 31:7 NIV) (Philippians 4-6 NIV)
I have always been a world class worrier. All ministers worry; that’s their job. Some clergy worry more than others. Parents also worry about where their children are and how things are going for them.
Perhaps things aren’t so nice in the area where children are growing up. Most mothers think they have a life-time privilege to be concerned for their children.
As I grew up, I developed an appreciation for the strength of my mother’s faith. It puzzled me that a woman who believed so much could worry so much. One day I asked her about her habit of worry. She replied “I believe God worries too, about us. Jesus worried. He wept. When I worry, I feel closer to him. It’s like we worry on the same problem together.
Praying goes along with worry. How can you love and not worry? Mom handled her worry by making it a spiritual exercise, a way to grow closer to the God she knew protected her. Worry was not just a form of prayer, but a form of love. If we can’t be spared from a worry or two especially for ourselves of the people whom we love, please, dear Lord, let our worries draw us closer to You.
“America has military and economic strength, Bic Macs and Hollywood movies from a political culture rooted in individual rights, freedom of expression, fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power, as well is rule of law.” Christian Science Monitor Jan, 25, 2021 pg.6.