Blue Screen of Death.....Worry Not

A very wise woman recently compared the brain to a computer hard drive. She said when it's full, it is very much like that of a person who worries and internalizes everything. I am that person. That realization is shocking. I suppose you could say I have just experienced the ethereal "blue screen of death," we all hate. 

Sometimes the awareness that this has happened is all we need to fix the problem. Sometimes, it isn't just as simple as black and white. The simplicity in this idea cannot be understated, but sometimes I have to be slapped upside the head with something to conceptualize and apply the principle(s) to life. 

Admittedly, I have lain awake many nights with so much on my mind that I could not sleep. A friend once told me that anxiety isn't a sign of weakness as a Christian, but a symbol of our own deep-rooted insecurities. Those are hard to change, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't strive to change them. Now, this isn't to say I don't believe in God. In essence, it is my inability to place total reliance in Christ. I guess I am suffering from what I would call the "Faith Deficit."

In the Bible, not worrying and being anxious (in the form of "fear not," in the KJV) is mentioned no less than 365 times. Some of my very favorite verses in the bible on this subject are:

Philippians 4:6-7 
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Matthew 6:34
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 11:28-30 
"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

John 14:27
"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid."

Hakuna Matata. T'inquiète pas, 不用担心, no te preocupes. These are all ways to say one of the most basic things in many different languages. Said in English, it's simply, "Don't worry, or don't worry, be happy." 

Last night, my husband and I attended "The Great Date Night," by Mark Cable at our church. He sang about Matthew 6:34. He used so much humor in his comparisons of life in York, Pennsylvania with his six children and his wife. It's called "Don't Waste Today." Hear that song here: http://www.markcable.com/.

Someone once told me that stress and worry probably shortens your life; it creates the opposite effect. A person who worries a great deal, would most certainly obsess about the eternal solicitude.....death. Pray. Breathe. Relax. Exhale. [Insert relaxation technique here]

But most often, pray. Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." Romans 12:12 says, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." 

I have recently started praying when I am driving; I mean, people may think I have gone loco because I am driving down the road having a conversation with the invisible. My daughter and I were talking the other night about praying and she asked the simple question, "Mom, how am I supposed to talk to Jesus if I can't see him?" 

I was floored by this because I did not know how to answer that. My husband would say that there are hardly no times when I am speechless. Explaining this to my five-year old was one of those times. Rare, I know. But I literally told her to let me think about that one (and I still cannot explain it). The supernatural power of God is something that has been written about numerous times by Christian scholars. That is something left to another discussion. This is just to demonstrate that some ideas are so complex they are difficult to attain. Even without explanation, she has faith....that faith of a child that is often described...an innocence, almost. 

Maybe IF I adopted that childlike faith, I could worry less and stop being anxious. Maybe it IS a matter of perspective and choice. Maybe it IS as simple as the 20-year old monumental song sang in Disney's, "The Lion King."  Maybe the warthog and the meerkat were right (somewhat).