Consider The Lilies

So, things are moving forward around here. The Man left Sunday morning headed to Florida to begin his training. He's two days in now and seems quite happy with this new opportunity. He said tonight that it felt like the right place for him, whereas the last job never did. We spent last week preparing for his departure as well as a huge yard sale. We purged and purged in an attempt to minimize what we have to move. The fewer boxes to load and unload the better. Despite a mid-morning rain shower, the sale was a huge success. I'd say 90% or more of what we put out was bought. The rest was picked up by a local non-profit agency for an upcoming fundraiser.

Saturday after the yard sale, we met with our realtor to begin the process of preparing to sell the house. Let me be honest here, selling a house in this economy is the pits!

Sunday morning was somewhat overwhelming. I was feeling rather stressed after meeting with the realtor the day before and then having to say goodbye to The Man....well, it was just a bit much. After he left, the girls and I got ready for church and I was just praying for some peace in my heart because I sure didn't have it right then. I was not expecting that peace to come from a Bible lesson for children. Am I that much of a child, Lord? Apparently so. I've been helping in the Kindergarten Sunday School class and the lesson that day was about trusting God and not worrying. And when the teacher began to read these verses, I couldn't help but smile.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

What a loving and caring God that would remind me of these words in the moment I most needed to hear them. The peace was immediate. The anxiety of the morning just melted away. After this last year, you would think I had already learned that God would take care of us and not to spend my time fretting over the future and yet I still manage to do it. I try to take His power away and do something about the situation by worrying. Oh me of little faith! Of course God will take care of us. I can trust Him with the details of my life and live one day at a time. I can look forward to what lies ahead instead of worrying about it. And if I feel that anxiety creeping in, I will stop and consider the lilies.