Friday, October 10, 2014

What? Me Worry?

What, me worry?

As a teenager, I was always annoyed when my mom would talk about how worried she was when any of us kids were out doing something fun or adventurous.  What point is there in worrying? I thought. Worry accomplishes nothing. Worry won't prevent an accident. Worry won't change the course of events.

That's easy for a kid to say, isn't it?

There is much in life that we can't control and worry makes us feel, at least, that we can put handles on our fear and maybe steer it a bit.
That's a feeling we much desire when we hear about natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, flooding or hurricanes.  We know enough about what can go wrong that it's only natural to worry.

When one such disaster hit her home state, after having moved cross country, my friend Kristin learned that her dear friend's parents were stranded in the midst of it. Evacuation was impossible because the only road out was demolished by the elements. Conditions for survival were not favorable. The first report she received was that they didn't have cell phone service, internet or land-line connections, and had not been in contact with anyone for a full 24 hours, which turned into 48 hours.

After two days passed without contact, concern grew. It was likely the home was wiped out. Would the elderly couple have had a chance to find a safe place to go?

Everyone who knew them, hit their knees in prayer.

My friend, explaining the situation to her husband, grew frustrated when he commented, "Don't worry. They'll be fine. I'm sure they are safe and just can't call out to let anyone know."

While it was a definite possibility that everything was fine, the worst was also possible.
She shared with me that she didn't like having her worries dismissed. It seemed to her, even more careless not to worry about their safety and the effect on the rest of the family.

I told her there is a difference between worry, which is pointless - and being concerned to the point that one is driven to prayer. I'll admit, I surprised even myself with that one! (Clearly, the Holy Spirit used my mouth!)

Prayer is what works. Prayer is what changes lives. Prayer is what allows the heart to relax when it just feels too much. Prayer brings us closer to God.

Our lazy language resorts to naming that frustrated feeling "worry".
Is "concern" a better word? Or is it seeking comfort from God?

Why is worry useless? Worry is a kind of fear that separates us from God. If we trust in God there is no need to worry. Worry is an insult to God. Prayer is always appropriate.

Oh, and there is a happy ending to the story. The couple were, in fact, alive and well. The situation wasn't always safe, far from it, but they were okay and rescued days later.

Certainly, an answer to prayer.