It was late at night and everyone else was asleep. I, once again, was wide awake worrying about an event that was three months away. Granted, I’d been stressing about this date on the calendar for weeks until I thought we’d figured out a solution. Tonight, I was worried about what would happen if our solution didn’t work out. What if I got sick? What if Jamie got sick? What if it snowed? What if the whole plan fell through and we were left with the original problem? Then, as the “what-if’s” filled my mind, almost like a cool breeze this verse went through my mind:
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NIV
Looking it up on my phone I then read the Message version.
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34
Boom! I love the way that reads. Once again, I was reminded that my purpose is to give my entire attention to what God is doing today and let tomorrow to Him. Suddenly, I realized that there were over 90 days until the event I was stressing over took place. Until then, there were many things to do, events to enjoy, people to love and so much life to experience. While worry wanted to cast a cloud over all of those things causing me to fret about what was to come, I was reminded that I had a choice. I could enjoy today and put my whole heart into what God was doing now or I could allow my today’s and tomorrow’s to be stolen worrying about a situation that could completely change until it arrives. Even if it doesn’t change I was reminded of the promise: God will help you when the time comes. The truth is that God gives us grace when we need it to go through a situation. He gives us His power, His courage and helps us in our time of weakness. Whatever His plan for three months from now, He will walk with me through it. But imagining and stressing about what will happen does nothing to help today or tomorrow, three months from now, three years from now or even three decades from now. It’s just a waste of energy keeping me from sleep and from fulfilling my true purpose: giving my entire attention to what God is doing right now. With that new resolve I finally fell asleep determined to focus on today’s purpose and let tomorrow to God.
