Who Wishes She Weren’t So Anxious

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN THE NINETIES, there were all kinds of mommas in my neighborhood. Some moms worked while others stayed home. Some made peanut butter and jelly for lunch while others made mac and cheese. Running from backyard to backyard, I observed many different styles of motherhood. And long before I ever had kids, I knew the kind of momma I hoped to be. I wanted to be silly and spontaneous while also being a steady and safe place for my kids to share anything. I wanted to be the mom who said yes as often as she could while still maintaining healthy boundaries. I wanted to be the “let’s go look at Christmas lights at 9:30 p.m. on a school night” mom while also being the “we will not be late to school the next day or skip church on Sunday because we had fun too late the night before” mom.

Never on my list of aims or ambitions did I add the word anxious. Never once did I plan to be the momma who worries excessively or feels overwhelmed in ordinary circumstances. I didn’t aspire to be the momma who checked, double-checked, and checked one more time just to make sure everything was okay. I didn’t want to be the mom who said no just because she feared what might happen if she said yes.

Anxiety was never supposed to be a part of my story. My momma didn’t plan for it to be a part of her story either. Nor did her momma before her. If you deal with overwhelming worry, I’m sure you never planned for it to be a part of yours. And if you’re anything like me, you sometimes go through your days wondering why you’re so anxious and wishing you weren’t. You see other mommas who don’t seem nearly as impacted by routine, day-to-day concerns. They seem to be able to “let go and let God” far more often than you could ever imagine doing. And you just wish that were your story as well.

I need to offer some hope for all of us today. God knew the exact mommas we would be when He placed children into our care. He chose us, knowing that during this season of life we would turn to Him and rely on Him to be our constant peace. Because the truth is, we cannot add one moment to our lives by worrying. Jesus made this clear: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” The understood answer is . . . none of us.

Worrying doesn’t keep us safe. It doesn’t add to our tranquility. No, my friend. But Jesus offers peace as a gift, and it is only through our proximity to Him that we are able to take what is in His hand. We cannot add to our lives by wishing or worrying, but we can greatly add to our lives by pausing and praying. Tonight let’s do just that. Let’s remember that while we might not have planned for this moment, this attitude, or this worry to be a part of our stories, God has written a far better chapter ahead for us. It’s the one titled “Peace,” and it’s marked by His constant presence.

Tonight we pray for the momma who wishes she weren’t so anxious. Lord, she trusts You, she prays, she does her best to just stop being afraid. But no matter how hard she tries, her heart and mind race on. Tonight we ask You to do what only You can. May Your peace cover her like a blanket. Touch her mind and still her thoughts. You are with her and her family, and she trusts You. Help her rest tonight.

We ask in Jesus’s name, amen.

Lord, help me not feel so anxious about . . .