Rest Without Worry

Matthew 11:28-  ” Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Have you ever found yourself laying in bed attempting to go to sleep for the evening, or being woke up in the middle of the night worrying about something that was going on in your life? Perhaps it wasn’t even something that was actually happening at the time, but rather something that had the potential of happening as a result of something else. What about being in the middle of a task physically, yet checked out mentally due to worry? Well, as a wife, mother, and daughter, there have been more times than I care to admit where this has been the case for me.

In 2010, I remember being in ICU with our daughter, Morgan. On this particular day, it was just the 2 of us in her dimly lit hospital room. She had been lying in her bed for 3 days in coma state shortly following a round of high dose chemotherapy. Although members of her medical team were in the room often, and we had tons of support from friends & family, I felt like we were alone. I mean, ALL  alone. As though we were the only two left on the planet. Sitting in the rocking chair bedside, all sorts of thoughts began running through my head. Will she pull through ? If she does, will she be the same?  How is all of this affecting Mariah & Montana (Morgan’s siblings)? Thoughts like this and more consumed me. That is, until I heard a gentle whisper, which brings me to the first tool that can help us when we find ourselves worrying, which is The Lords words.

After several days of sitting in that room watching her lay in the bed without a single word or movement, worrying and wanting desperately to do something to change the situation, I felt led to pick up the Bible that was sitting on the table next to her. It had been there for the 3 days, and although I noticed it, I never gave it much thought. Sitting down with it in hand, I began to read scriptures out loud. Two things happened shortly after I did. First, I began to draw strength from it. Although I still had no idea what the end result would be, hope began to rise up on the inside of me. Secondly, and most importantly, Morgan began to move just a little. After a bit longer, she started making subtle sounds. As you can imagine,  I was ecstatic! It was on that day that I truly began to understand just how powerful his words are, and experienced first hand, the peace that comes from seeking him. By sharing this, I hope you will too.

The Bible is one of the 2 most effective tools that we have to combat worry. His words not only direct us in regards to worrying, as they do all things in this life, but they have the power to change them, also. The good news is, in a world filled with technology, it is more accessible now than ever. With the creation of Bible apps like YouVersion, we can now gain access to The Lords words by a tap on our phones. Not only that, but we can utilize devotionals & Bible studies, too. One of my daily disciplines is to read a devotional each morning, and to read all of the scriptures that go along with it. This helps to build my spiritual muscle, and if you will commit to it, it will do the same for you!

So today, if you find yourself worrying about something that you have no control over, I am going to encourage you to reach for the Bible . Whether it is book or computer based, begin to focus your attention to his words. If you do not know where to begin, start by researching the word “worry” in the concordance found in the back of the book, or do a search on “worry” in the app. There you will find all of the scriptures related to the topic.  By doing so, I believe that you, like I, will begin to draw strength and encouragement from it. Also, if you would like to have someone join you in prayer in regards to something specific, please comment below or send me an email. I take prayer request very seriously, and would love the opportunity to pray for you! On that note, lets plan on picking up here tomorrow, okay? Make it a great Tuesday!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson