Do Not Worry

After weeks of tests, interviews, and more tests came the time to wait. I think what makes waiting so hard is the silence. You don't have any answers, only hope... along with doubt, fear and worry. Questions were running through our heads like- Will Jon get offered any of these jobs he applied for? How long will it take? Were we crazy thinking we could pull this off? Are we going to burn through our savings? And then what?

I have to admit- I'm a worrier. It's in my nature. But in these times I am reminded that God tells me not to. He says "6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philipians 4:6-7). I cannot even describe how much truth there is to this. Whenever I pour out all my worries to God, I am overwhelmed with His peace. 

Two Sundays ago Jon was pretty upset that something was wrong with his ear. We had his mom and brother over visiting and we had been at the beach the day before. We weren't sure if it was water or some wax buildup but his ear was clogged and he could barely hear from it. We tried over-the-counter  stuff that not only didn't work but made him worse. I was worried about his ear and he was worried about having to pay a doctor visit out of pocket because  we  don't currently have health insurance. I woke up  late, he had a rough night and was in a bad mood, and church was an hour away. It would've been so easy to stay home that morning, and the thought of suggesting it crossed my mind, but I knew we had to get ourselves to church. Thankfully we made it and boy am I glad we did!  Not only was the worship and message so spirit-filled, Jon's ear was healed by the end of the service! We knew that was God telling us directly "do not worry". If he heard our plea for something small like a clogged ear, how much more does he care about our overall well-being? 

Fast forward a week and that job that the hiring process supposedly  takes a year or more? Yeah, Jon got an offer and starts this September! Is that God or what?!  We are so thankful to God for hearing our prayers and providing for us! 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25-34‬ NIV)