Today is a special day for a couple of reasons. We will be gathering with our church family to pray for those affected by the floods here in Colorado. Every portion of this morning’s service has been changed, but the fact that those of us who are able to gather will be together. We will worship God for who He is and for what He has done. We will honor Him in this way…because that’s what we do.

Today is also my wedding anniversary. We’ve been married 12 years and if you do the math, you realize that we were married four days after 9/11. Today I feel some of the same emotions that I did all those years ago. Lives have been lost this week. Homes and families have been torn apart. Many are still stranded. Many are still missing. I don’t feel much like celebrating.

What I can do today is cling to Jesus, for it’s only through Him that I can make it through yet another storm. I’ve chosen a post that may help with anxiety that comes when we face storms. I pray that these words will be of help if you face a storm today.

Please keep my family and my Colorado friends in your prayers today. It’s raining again.

Do Not Be Anxious

It doesn’t happen very often, but I received three phone calls from our city telling us that we were under a tornado warning. I guess it’s just natural to feel a bit anxious under these circumstances. But there were several reasons last night that sent me that direction.

First of all, Mason was working a night shift. Then there was the fact that Candace was still out working. And last but not least, Joy, our granddaughter was spending the night. I stayed by the television as long as I possibly could to see where these storms were headed and if, in fact, we were in any danger.

Several years ago, we were placed under a tornado warning and spent some time in the basement. Driving through the area where the tornado touched down was disturbing. The path was pretty defined. The damage was more severe in some areas than others. Destruction was evident.

I don’t like feeling anxious. I tend to become very warm, sweat much more than normal, and my heart races. After the anxiousness has subsided, I feel depleted.

Obviously in the situation of immediate danger, being anxious is normal and natural. Anxiousness can be a difficult issue for some. But for most people of our world, we do tend to overdo the anxiousness. Sometimes we are anxious for reasons that do not merit these feelings.

Proverbs reminds us that “an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25 – NIV) Anxiety can cause us to feel unnecessarily burdened.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV) tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It may be difficult to act in this way, but we are told to face difficulty in this manner.

So what are we to do with our anxieties? 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) says to, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Give it to God. Give it completely, totally, without any hesitation, to God.

We are to trust God with all of our cares. Nahum shares these words, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” (Nahum 1:7 – NIV)

And if we jump back to Philippians 4:7 (NIV), Paul tells us what we will receive when we trust and give God our anxiety. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace will cover us and we won’t even be able to understand why we are at peace in tough situations.

The storms passed. We were unharmed. There was no reason to be nervous or anxious. For that I am thankful. I guess the real lesson in all of this is to listen to the experts. Understand what they are saying and then take appropriate action. It’s better to be safe than sorry in this situation.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

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