The Heart of the Matter

A few months ago, my mom started experiencing some health concerns. Suddenly, I went from being a daughter to a caretaker and estate manager. At first, I shifted right into crisis mode, but lately, I've been having some feels. Well, my feelings got the better of me this week, and I spiraled a bit into a pit of despair.

The spiral started at the beginning of the week. I felt fear for my mom's health. Facing the unknown can be scary, and the Bible says there is a time for feeling afraid; however, God wants us to turn to Him with our fears. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Yet, instead of taking the hand of God right away, I let fear weigh me down.

About mid week, my anxiety began to elevate. I had some medical tests I was waiting to hear about, but the Bible has quite a bit to say on this:

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

All I really needed to do was appeal to God and receive His peace. I knew that; I know that, yet I let anxiety takeover.

Another favorite of mine is

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV): Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

God loves me so much that He gave his son as a sacrifice to bear the weight of my sin.

By Thursday, I was pretty tired and felt the burden weighing heavily on me. I felt so weary (which became sweary) and a little grumpy with people. One of my iron sharpening friends (Okay, it was Julie) reminded me who should be carrying my load:

Matthew 11:28 (NIV): “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Again, a reminder of Jesus' wisdom and who is in control of the endgame: God. I was spent. My energy was zapped. By the end of the day, I was having a hard time staying focused and remembering words. I went to bed early hoping for a new day.

As usual, the end of the week came. My dad asked me, "What did all of this worrying get you?" Nothing. Tired. Stress...and a whole lot of nothing else. If anything, the worry stole my joy and robbed my time. Can't say I wasn't warned...

Matthew 6:27 (NIV): Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

The heart of the matter is this: my heart wasn't letting in the God in control. When God is my center, I'm centered. When I let God be at the heart of all matters, He ends up being the one to shoulder my burden, bring joy to my sadness, and wipe away my anxiety. Giving God my heart is all God wants from me. He promises.

I caught this photo of a beautiful, brilliant double rainbow on my way home from work. Every time I see one, I think of God's promise and am reminded that God is showing me His presence. Also, that corn is way over my head!

Friends, if you are already a Christian, I encourage you to reach out to your other Christian friends and share what's on your heart or support someone who needs the love of Christ in their hearts. If you are seeking a Christian family , get into a church and ask. God wants your heart, your love. That's it. It's that easy to get into the family of God and start giving up those worries and fears dragging you down.

If you want a way to get connected and are in the Mitchell community, Julie and I invite ladies to join us for brunch on October 11th. See you there!

Yours in Christ,

Michelle