Nesting

These little guys have taken up temporary residence in a tall shrub just outside our garage door. It's amazing how they've grown in just a weeks time. On Monday I peek'd in on them and all I could see was little beaks pointing straight up in the air, opening and closing, just waiting for some nourishment from mom. Mom, however was up in the tree on the other side of the garage, scolding me like crazy! But these babies new she'd be back with a big, fat, juicy worm for them to devour. They knew they'd be cared for and had no worry.

Matthew 6:26 (The Message)

25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

I thought about these baby birds a lot last night after I snapped their picture. They are virtually dependant upon mother robin to care for them. They can't go anywhere, so they wait upon mom to meet their needs. No need to worry.

God tells me the same thing in Luke 12:24. So why do I continue to worry? Sometimes I can get totally consumed with things of which I have no control. However, now that I think about it, things I can control often fall into the worry category too! Does worry really make anything better or less stressful? Quite the contrary!

Sometimes worry causes me to be grouchy. Worry makes me edgy. I'm risk adversive when I worry (like I need anything else to make me more conservative!). Worry over-activates my preventative nature. I'm overprotective when I worry. I withdraw when I worry. Worry makes me want to take control. Worry messes me up!

Mowing the lawn is one of my LEAST favorite things to do. But because I worry about not having a lawn that matches the rest of the lawns in our subdivision, I fertilize and water regularly. This equates to mowing regularly, like every 2-3 days, ARRGGGGHHH! I could really resonate with Mark Beeson when he was comparing life being hard to cutting your grass, in this past weekends message. Mark said "the grass grows and grows, and you mow and mow, then you die!" I'm now convinced that I'm going to drop dead while mowing the lawn one day...ha ha!

While mowing the lawn last night I had this revelation. I get totally consumed with worry (and often paralyzed with fear) when I have life impacting choices to make. Will I make the right choice? What is the right choice? What if I make the wrong choice? I've found myself praying for God to take options away at times. Don't make me choose. You pick God, cuz You know the right answer anyway.

But then it hit me last night. I don't think I want God to take the option away. I don't think that having choices should be synonomous with worry. When I have to choose between options, to worry or not to worry for instance, it makes me lean in harder on God to trust that he will provide.

Will I continue to worry? Is my grass green (and long...arrrghh)! But just like when these baby birds get pushed out of their nest, I can't let worry make me plummet to the ground. It will make me soar because I am confident that God is taking care of me......And you count far more to him than birds