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Friday, January 26, 2007

Breaking the Worry Syndrome

"Just give it to the Lord."

Huh? You expect me to give up my worry security blanket? What would I do if I couldn't worry a little?

It's almost as though by worrying I can make things happen or prevent them. It becomes an effort on my part to control the world around me rather than trusting God to take care of the situations. I try to do His job for Him because I somehow believe He can't do it alone.

The first step in relinquishing "control," even if it's only control in my own mind, is to trust. Since I'm a visual learner, I like to picture Jesus standing before me and imagine myself handing my problems, burdens and issues to Him.

The compassion and love in His eyes as He takes each one , promising to deal with it in His own way and time, soothes my discomfort. Then when I find myself worrying again, fretting because He hasn't done anything yet, I try to imagine that I've gone to Him and demanded them back.

When I use visual imagery it really helps me to see my lack of trust and willfulness in trying to handle my own problems. Understanding that I've been brazen enough to demand my burdens back helps me to apologize and break the cycle of worry.

Little by little He's working with me to change the way I handle my problems - my ways of coping with the world. He loves me enough that He will keep working with me. As one writer put it, His love is so deep he cannot stand a spot or wrinkle in His beloved. He is willing to work patiently with us until we become perfect in Him.

Thank You Lord for your patience, even when I'm not!

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