Don’t Worry: Grandmother Waiting Up

I had the most fun grandmother in the world, however, like most adult parent figures do, she worried.  Not only did she worry, but Aunt Pauline worried too, and you put them together, and the worry magnified.  I remember listening to their conversations of worry and concern, bordering on pandemonium over the simplest of things.  If someone wasn’t home on time, in minutes they’d have conjured up a horrific accident, or possible kidnapping, or who knows what.  Time after time I’d witness NOTHING come of their extravagant and contrived stories, as older siblings would show up in one piece, unbroken, every time.  

What was that worry all about? NOTHING! It was a waste of time and effort. I further rationalized, even if it were true, what in the world were they going to do about it?  Other than talking and talking and talking, nothing useful ever came of it.

In my young mind, I decided I was not going to be like that, I was not going to worry. That, my friends, was a gift of epic proportions.  Today, I’m giving that gift to you! Can you imagine a life without worry? I can, and it has been amazing! Sure, I’ve had moments of worry throughout my life, but I quickly remind myself there’s typically nothing I can do about it. And in the off chance there is, well then I do it.  

Like most new parents, I brought my first baby home and had moments of worry, wondering if I could keep this little life alive, and moments where fear creeped in and I questioned my abilities as a parent. But guess what? Life has a way of happening regardless of our worry, the beat of time marches on whether we choose to worry or not, and we are not in complete control.  It’s time to surrender! We can do our best, and that’s all we get to do. We don’t get to control others either, we just have the choice to accept their best.

If you’re tempted to worry, the trick is to catch yourself in the action, and ask if you can do anything about it.  If you can, then by all means, move into action. If you can’t, which is generally the case, then you do the opposite — increase your FAITH!  Have faith that everything works out for you. Have faith that all things happen for a reason and work together for your good. Have faith that even if trials happen, you learn from them and they help you grow and prepare for the future.

Simply put, replace worry with faith, and you’ll find peace every time.  

What are you worrying about? How can you replace that worry with faith?  Don’t be a worry wart like Aunt Pauline! Choose to increase your faith and find your peace.