Find Peace: A 5-Day Plan For MomsMuestra

Caroline was enjoying some conversation in the teacher’s lounge when the department head suddenly revealed that enrollment was significantly down, and with it, funds from the state to operate.

“I think we’re okay,” he said, “but if the county gets nervous, we could see some teaching positions shift or get cut. Apparently, none of us is ‘safe’ until next week, right after Labor Day.”

These words played over and over again in Caroline’s mind during that long week. As a single mom, she was the only provider for her three kids. If her income went away, they literally could be out on the street within a month. 

On the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, she opened her email to see this from her principal: “Can we talk Tuesday?”

Those four words were like a brick through the window of Caroline’s heart. Can we talk? What could that possibly mean, other than it was time to be cut, or “shifted” out of her position? 

The next day was a Labor Day picnic, but Caroline was in no mood to enjoy it. She hadn’t slept a wink. She stayed moody and distracted, hardly enjoying the beautiful weather or her loved ones.

Tuesday arrived, and Caroline dragged herself to school. She went straight to the principal’s office. “Good morning. You wanted to speak with me?”

Her principal looked up. “About what, again?”

“Your email said, ‘Can we talk?’”

“Oh, right. Here, see this change the committee made on our website? Could you suggest a better word choice?”

Walking back to her classroom, Caroline didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. All that worry! Had she really ruined a whole weekend based on a little bit of nothing?

“Lord,” she whispered. “I can’t handle that kind of emotional roller coaster! Can’t You keep my heart from freaking out like this?”

And into her heart came these words. Your choice, My child.

She was suddenly washed with conviction. God tells us over and over that He is our provider. That He cares. That He is able. That we must make the choice to not worry about tomorrow. Yes, it is a human tendency to worry—but it is a human tendency that is based on a sinful habit of not trusting God.

Caroline’s weekend of giving in to her whirling worries was really just a weekend of giving into sin.

Women are particularly prone to this. In the survey of women for my book, For Men Only, I discovered that 81 percent of us have trouble controlling those pop-up worries in our lives.

We can’t always control the troubling concerns that come into our minds—whether it’s about our job, our kids’ grades, or the disagreement we had with our husband earlier in the day. But we can choose what we do with those thoughts once they appear.

Some people say, “That’s just the way I am! I’m a worrier!” But think about how men and boys, who are hardwired to be visual, can be so tempted to look at all the inappropriate things that pop up in their field of vision. It is a biological impulse, but we tell our sons that they need to take every thought captive instead. That the temptations will come, but the question is what they choose to do with them.

It works the same way for us, sisters. Worry is a temptation. But we need to choose to stop those roiling thoughts, to hand those worries over to Him, to focus on God’s promises and have peace. Peace is not the absence of conflict; it’s the ability to entrust that conflict to the One who knows our story from beginning to end and will walk with us every step of the way.

PRAYER

Lord, I confess the sin of allowing worries to swirl in my head. You deserve better from me. You have always been there, and You have promised to provide for my every need. You have begged me to not worry about tomorrow, and yet I almost seem to want to indulge in those exact worries. Please forgive me, Lord. Wash my mind and heart clean and help me give the worries back to You every time they arise. I trust You, Lord. Amen.