Be Present

If you love many, you have many worries.

What is a worry? A worry is to think about a possible future scenario that is in some way frightening and to feel the fear as though the scenario is true. Worry is as old as time. There are things people have concocted to help them deal with worry – worry beads, prayer beads, rosaries. Prayer is an excellent form of combatting worry, but it does not stop the habit of worry – in a way, it perpetuates it. One must work their worry beads or pray the rosary to make sure God protects them or their loved ones.

A mother’s worry is heightened because it is her job to protect her children. A father’s worry is to protect his family. He has financial worries and a man’s financial worries can be all-consuming, causing some to fear their life is worthless if they have gone into debt or somehow lost their ability to provide for their loved ones.

There are a myriad of reasons people worry, but it is all the same end result. Worry robs us of our present moment; the here and now, eternity. When we worry our minds are in the future or in the past as we think of things that have happened, and therefore, what could happen again. We miss the opportunity to see how blessed we are right now. All of the good things in our life are overshadowed by worrisome thoughts.

In a family gathering you might worry that there isn’t enough food or you see a cobweb you forgot to dust and now you think everyone is focusing on how dirty your house is. But, in reality no one sees the cobweb but you. There is plenty of food and all your guests want is to see you, smiling and happy to be in their presence.

For me, worry comes the minute I close my eyes and prepare to fall asleep. Suddenly, ideas of horrible things enter my mind and one thought leads to another, until some times I’m ready to jump out of bed and call everyone I love to make sure they’re all safe and sound. Of course, to do so would only worry them that I’ve gone off the deep end, so I don’t do it. We can get ourselves into different states of anxiety with just one thought that can multiply into many and when we wake up after a mostly sleepless night, we realize our worrying was all for naught. All is well in the end. Should the worse case scenario actually occur, we realize our worrying before hand did nothing to prevent it and our loved one’s own path could only be taken by them and them alone.

I have learned some ways to combat worry. I tell myself everyone is safe and sound. I tell myself to suspend my thinking until the morning. I use breathing techniques to calm my nervous system, and if all of this doesn’t work, I ask the Holy Spirit to take the worry from me, because I am powerless to do it on my own.

We are ultimately safe.

We and our loved ones are on paths, journeys to our own destinations in life. Pre-arranged situations that present themselves and we have free will to choose to take on the mission. Our children have their own free will. No matter how much we love them and wish to protect them, they will eventually have to go it alone. Release them and know in your heart that whatever they encounter in life is exactly as it should be, for them.

There is a much greater plan for all of us. And, before entering these bodies and this life, we agreed to the plan. Actually, we loved the plan! We knew we would all be perfectly fine, when this life is over. We’d all be safe and well and together again, taking only the lessons, the experiences, and the love with us.

There will be a big gathering again when everyone you love is back together in the place where we all reside with God and the angels. But for now, Be Present. Experience all that this life is blessing you with, because there are endless blessings all around and signs from those who are already at the gathering just waiting for the day you’ll be together again.

Give your worries and cares to God. He will convert the worry to blessings and return them to you tenfold.

May you be blessed in every moment of your life, no matter how you or your loved ones choose to use it (the moment.)

All my best,

Lisa

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118