What are you worried about?

It's amazing how quickly life can change, isn't it? I had the opportunity to visit my family and an old friend from high school this past week. I hadn't seen or spoken to my high school friend in about twenty years. We reconnected a couple of years ago on Facebook and we were finally able to visit face to face. It was great seeing him again, meeting his children, and reminiscing about the past. I realized that either my memory is not what I thought it was or that my brain has an auto suppress feature that enables me to forget my less glorious acts as a human being. Unfortunately, my dear friend didn't have that same feature and reminded of some activities I had long forgotten.

There was one event he recalled that I still can't fully remember. I have some vague recollection of the event buried deep within my memory banks, but it is cloudy at best. However, considering what I know I did as a teenager, I am not surprised that I also carried out this particular juvenile delinquency. According to my good friend (and RWM, I'm trusting you that this actually happened), we were at a store and I picked up a golf club and loudly anounced that I was stealing the club. I slowly proceeded to the door anouncing all the way that I was stealing the golf club. I continued this until I actually left the store without a single employee saying anything to me. (Warning: Do not attempt this without actually purchasing the item. Serious consequences will likely result). Amazingly, no one stopped me or did anything to me, and I did bring the club back into the store.

During this vacation, I also had the chance to spend time with my parents and they have had a challenging year to say the least. They have had to deal with a heart attack, a stroke, and being laid off from work all in a period of about 9 months. That's a lot to deal with in a short time. Their lives have been drastically changed and their plans altered. But that's life, isn't it? It can radical change in an instant.

Christy and I had the privilege of helping my mom and dad around the yard with a little spring clean up. It's an honor to serve one's parents after they have done so much for you over the years, but it also is strange seeing a role reversal. I was now helping my parents, when they had always been the ones to help me out. If I ever had a need, mom and dad were always there to help. Now they have some needs and I'm trying to help. It's a strange role reversal.

I reflected on my time with family and friends as I drove back home. The reminiscing with an old friend and the time with my parents reminded me of my life as a child. I had very little to worry about as a child. Sure I did some pretty stupid things (as I have once again revealed in this blog to my own humiliation and razzing), but basically I had no major worries. Mom and dad took care of my needs and were there for me when I needed help. Life as a child was actually quite worry free.

It dawned on me as I talked with Christy on the way back home that the Heavenly Father wants us to experience a similar worry free life as believer. I was beginning to worry about my parents and their situation, challenges that my brother was facing, and challenges Christy and I face. There's a lot I could worry about. Yet, God can handle all the worries we face in this life. As a child, all of my needs were taken care of. I may have worried about a lost toy, but I had no major worries. In the same way, we have a heavenly Father who loves and cares for us. We can throw any and every worry we have on Him. Like a small child living a worry free life because his mom and dad takes care of him, so ought we to live as believers. I Peter 5:7 calls us to do just that. "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

Even though my parents are going through a transitional stage of life (and consequentially I am as well), I don't need to allow anxiety to weigh me down. The worries of this life are no match for my infinite, omnipotent Father. When worry and anxiety rise up in my spirit I'm going to pick them up and throw them onto my Heavenly Father. I'll let Him take care of it. I'm not trying to be simplistic or flippant about this. I know my parents will still have health issues to deal with amd I'll still have challenges to face as well, but I don't need to worry about those things. Do I need to accept their reality and face them? Yes. Do I need to worry about them? No.

I want to live like a child without worry and rest in the protective and loving care of my Heavenly Father (but I'll refrain from the childish shoplifting pranks in the future).