Worry wart

Let's face it, I'm a worrier. I worry about everything, and it often gets me worked up pretty good. Clearly, I'm a type-A personality, and worry about all of the little details. I used to be grateful for that fact, as I would point any success I had to the fact I took care of the details. Fortunately, God has put some men in my life from which I have been learning a lot. They don't worry like I do. Although they have all of the same concerns, they seem much more at ease in that they are doing everything that they've been gifted to do, and that God is going to take care of the rest. These aren't just men that talk the talk, but they walk the life! So, what have I learned from their example?

I think I learned what it truly means to "give it up to God". What I know is that a week like last week would have killed me had I worried about all of the things out of my control (see "Whew! I made it to Saturday" below). But I didn't, and it was the most liberating experience. You see, the bible tells us not to worry. In fact, Matthew 6:24-32 is all about how we shouldn't worry about things (for those of you that might doubt the voracity of the bible, modern science has proven that stress will shorten life expectancy and is directly related with many diseases, include heart disease).

So what did I do different last week? First, I spent some quality alone time with God, either in prayer, contemplation, or in the bible. This helped me stay focused on Him and His will. Second, I worked my butt off to be prepared (again, thanks to the talents and abilities that He has given me). Lastly, I prayed that He would take care of the rest. I made a concerted effort not to worry about those things that were out of my control.

The result, everything worked out very well. The meetings I had at work went well, all of the deliverables I was responsible for were delivered, and I did well on my exams. I might not have had a lot of time to sleep, but I didn't stay awake worrying. The most interesting thing about last week is something Angie said to me. She noted, "You know, Scott. We haven't fought all week. I could definitely see that you weren't as stressed as you would have been." She really made me feel awesome when she said that.

That feeling alone added a couple of years back to my life that stress has taken away.

SL

NB: Sammy/Bob - thanks, bros!