The Evil Villain Worry

Kids. Bills. Job. Health. Insurance. Taxes. The check engine light on the truck. The leaky toilet. The economy. I could go on and on with the never ending list of worries that pop in our minds. Big worries, small worries, worries that climb on rocks-our lives are full of self inflicted stressors. I can speak of worry as an expert because I come from a long line of “worriers”.  I have been trained from birth to attempt to handle and brainstorm every single “what if” scenario.

Do you want to know the silliest of my worries? I worry about oversleeping. I am not sure what would happen if I overslept, but I am sure it may be the predictor of the Rapture. I bet some of you imagine that this started after I entered the working world and you would be so wrong. Here is where it really gets odd. I do not and have NEVER used an alarm clock. I mean I have been like this since I was 9 years old. I wake up no less than 4 times a night just so I can see what time it is. The sickness that lives in my head will have me guess the time before I open my eyes, like I am going to win a cruise or something if I am correct. I can honestly only recall 2 times or so in my life that I slept past 10AM on a Saturday! The very first time I recall doing that was about a week after my high school graduation and I remember vividly my grandmother was visiting.

Why do I worry about oversleeping?  All I know is that admitting my worry sets up a nice platform to open the discussion.

1.     Most of the things we worry about never come true, and if they do, the results are rarely catastrophic. Have I overslept in the past? Nope. If I did, I would likely survive without losing my job and may have to endure some teasing at work. I am fairly certain I would not be executed.

2.     Worry is a fear without a face. In this case, my worry about oversleeping literally keeps me awake at night and robs me of the sleep I need. What frightens me about oversleeping? I have no clue.

3.     Worry smothers itself in negativity. Negative thoughts then lead to negative actions which lead to negative energy and feelings.

4.     Worry becomes a habit. I will worry if there is nothing worrying me. Talk about toxic, self inflicted wounds.

5.     Worry stimulates the body to react to stress. This distress has many physical ramifications that, unlike milk, “does NOT do a body good”.

6.     Worry can be pathological.

So, what is an accomplished worrier with more than 40 years of experience supposed to do when he knows money is tight, the job is shaky because of a contract issue, and the IRS bill is, well, scarier than Freddy Krueger ever could be? Besides, worrying about stuff gives me “control”, right? Surely, if I toss and turn enough nights and make myself a sleep deprived lunatic, I can solve this problem. Yeah, right, that has worked SO well. 

What if I lean on God and look to Him for answers? God makes it SIMPLE if we will just have faith. Look at Philippians 4:6-7, “⁶ Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. ⁷ Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Then Jesus says in Matthew 6:25 “ I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing?”.

I am a work in progress. I pray daily that God will help me overcome my issues and I know others suffer right along with me. So, with God, I can overcome this nemesis. So , stay tuned until the next time. Same blog site. Same blog channel.