What If It Snows?

By Evgeni Dinev "FreeDigitalPhotos.net"

I have managed not to worry about global warming, being murdered in my bed, tornados or hurricanes. (I know, we don't have the last two in Idaho, but I worried about them anyway.) In other words, I have managed to stop worrying about things I have no control over ―  mostly. However, other worries have replaced them. Why do I do that?

Every weekday morning, I utilize every possible second to write, read my devotions, and keep up on some social sites. Mixed in of course is time to shower, dress, fix my lunch, have breakfast, exercise and get on the road in time to be at work twenty miles away by eight in the morning.

That’s a lot to accomplish. If I was smart, I wouldn’t try to cram so much in, but I can't let go of any of it and thus starts the worry chain. What if it snows and I have to leave earlier? Well, guess what? It did snow.

Not only did I have to leave early because of icy roads, I needed gas too. What did I do? Well of course I prioritized. I didn't do half of my morning routine and hold your breath ― I survived! The world didn't come to an end. Nothing bad happened. Wow.

The snowstorm taught me a valuable lesson: deal with bad things when they happen and don't stress over it until then. I should make a few plans, have an idea what might need to be done (i.e: leave earlier), and then let it go. 

Surprisingly, I didn't feel stressed about simplifying my morning routine. Perfectionists and those with compulsive tendencies know how hard this is. I believe God gave me the grace to overcome these compulsions and helped me put my priorities in the proper order.

The bigger lesson: He will also give me the grace to face any other set of nasty circumstances that might arise as He has in the past. He helped me overcome the deaths of two husbands, financial hardships, and illnesses. He even helped with things like food and a job as well as snowy roads.

However, letting go of these smaller things may actually take more work. They are the daily challenges we constantly face, but it will be worth the effort. Imagine living without fear or worry. I sure want to try it.

So, let it snow, let it snow. Well, not really, but at least I've stopped most of the worry chain, I hope. Being fully human, I may revisit that place again, but maybe with God’s grace I can minimize my lapses. At least, that's the plan. I'll let you know next Monday how it went. 

How about you? Do you fight the clock and worry about how much you can accomplish, how you can juggle when your time is short and how do you cope?