I woke up this morning with a crick in my neck from a worn out pillow and a crick in my spirit from a worried out mind. For the past few days I had regressed into a determined pessimist staring at the single mud hole in a field full of flowers. As we all sometimes do I had foolishly allowed myself to worry about my life instead of trusting in God. I had tried to live in the future instead of enjoying today. I had put off my happiness until all my problems were gone instead of tackling each one of them with faith, hope, and joy. All in all I had literally wasted two days of my life.
I was still rubbing my sore neck as I walked to the garbage bin with the pillow. As I opened the bin with a snarl, though, I felt a ray of warmth touch my face. The sun had just risen over the trees and God had used its beams to give me a gentle kiss on the cheek. I looked up as the light bathed my face and saw a single bird soaring across the sky and flying into the sunrise. It was a sight so beautiful that it filled me with God’s love.
In that moment my soul went soaring to the heavens as well and I smiled again. In that second love flowed from my heart and joy touched my spirit. In that instant I felt full of faith and trust. I crumpled up my wasteful worries and tossed them in the trash with that worn out pillow.
I looked towards the sky and asked God to forgive my foolishness. Then I dedicated another day to doing His will, sharing His love, and spreading His truth.
I only wish I hadn’t wasted those 48 hours before I awoke again. Worry is an insidious habit that sneaks back into our brains every chance it gets. It eats away at our lives and drains us of our love. Sometimes God even needs a sore neck and a sunbeam to awaken us from the nightmare that it brings to our days. Keep your worry where it belongs then, in the trash.
Joseph J. Mazzella joemazzella@frontier.com