Do Not Be Anxious

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?1 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34

When I was in college I worked in a day care with two and three year olds. Their favorite story was called "Don't be Scared!", and every time we would come across that line in the book, they would scream it very loud. DON'T BE SCARED! We would laugh and get calm and continue with the story. The act of screaming was very cathartic. It's hard to be anxious after a good scream and a laugh. Later in the year when Mark and I were getting married, they made us a big poster that said, of course -DON"T BE SCARED -with all their faces on it.

God knows that we humans are bound to be anxious and scared. Whether we are facing crisis, personal, physical or financial or if it is a challenge that seems to much for us, we are reminded today that God is with us. Jesus tells us that the Creator clothes the lilies of the field, and cares for the smallest sparrow. We are invited to not worry, not be scared or anxious, for God has our every need in hand. If we are willing simply to seek God in our daily lives then all our needs will be supplied, day by day.

Today, in the midst of moving, may I not worry about anything and in everything pray. May we rely on God completely today and may every gift of nature remind us of God's amazing love and care for all of creation. May we not fear what is ahead knowing that God goes with us today.