Do Not Be Anxious

"And who among you , through his anxiety, is able to add a single cubit to the length of his life?" (Lk 12:25) We, in our anxiety-ridden times, need to hear and digest this. Things, people do not meet OUR expectations, so we easily fall prey to anxiety: "Who will do it if I don't? No one does things as well as I. I would rather do it myself than trust another to do it, at least I know it will get done." We find ourselves exhausted, stressed, and frustrated, for we find that we do not have time, nor cannot do everything ourselves. So we worry more and more about what needs to be done and our inability to do it. What a mess! In contrast the Psalmist writes:
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Our steps are made firm by the Lord,
when he delights in our way;
Though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us by the hand." (Ps 37: 3-4, 23-24).
We need to learn that "nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. We need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in us and in our atttudes." A doctor is quoted, "I can watch my serenity level rise, when I discard my expectations." (Medjugorje Day by Day)
The time-honored and effective "Serenity Prayer" comes to mind as a handy tool to calm our anxiety: "O lord, grant me the serenity to accept the thins I cannot change; the courage to change the things I dan; and the wisdom to know the difference."
Bro. Rene