March 1, 2004
A couple rambling thoughts…
March is probably my most “unfavorite” month of the year in
Chicagoland. You have a few days of beautiful warm, sunny weather that whispers
at you, “Spring is here!” only to be followed a few days later with
temps in the 20’s and 3 inches of snow. Then it yells, “Fooled ya! It’s
still winter!”
Doesn’t that remind you a little of how Satan lures us into sin? He
sends a warm fuzzy temptation along that whispers “this is okay; it won’t
really hurt you.” Then the next thing you know we’re hit with the
guilt and condemnation that he yells in our ear when we fall into the
temptation he sent our way! What a devious devil!
So each year I take the “false” whispers of spring that show up in
March and try and remember that they are like temptation. I will not give
in to believing the lie. I will not put my winter clothes away yet or
take off the storm windows until the real Spring comes – and renew my
commitment that I will not be led astray by those early signs of
temptation that come my way. I will not stop praying or watching or being
alert – I’ll wait for the real leading and directions that comes from my
Father. What an awesome God!
Another of these rambling thoughts come from a long visit with an
elderly saint recently who was sharing how she were consumed with worry over
whether her financial resources would last her for the rest of her life
– and what would she do if health or other circumstances caused her to
have to use all her savings just to survive? Then what?
Ever found yourself in one of those “what if” worry sessions where you
imagine everything under the sun that could possibly go wrong in a
situation? Since this is a place I can easily fall into, I have had to
learn, with much diligence and dependence on the Lord, to take God at his
word when He says “don’t worry about what you shall eat or what you
shall wear; your Heavenly Father knows you have need of these things. If
He clothes the fields with lilies and feeds the birds of the air, will
He not care for you?” Because Jesus tells me not to worry, if I do,
then I’m sinning – not trusting. You can’t do both at the same time. If
you are worrying you are not trusting, and if you are trusting you
won’t even think to worry!
What is ever accomplished by worrying anyway? Can worry change one
thing in our future or present circumstances? No. It only produces
sleepless nights, stress and frustration. So are you worrying today – or
more probably tonight? Recognize it as sin, confess it and then ask the
Lord to help turn your thoughts to praise and thanksgiving. I promise
you that is the best cure for worrying there is. Try it – it works –
and you’ll love the results!
Until next time … love and prayers,
RuthAnn Gleason, the Parson's Wife
ragleason@sbcglobal.net
