From the Pastor’s Desk

I encourage you to read Matthew 6:25-34.

Francis Chan, Author of the Book Crazy Love, says, “Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives. Stress says the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control. Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it’s okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives are brief… and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed.”

Worry can be debilitating. It is like walking on a treadmill – you expend a lot of energy but never go anywhere. Worry never eliminates tomorrow of its sorrows – it only zaps today of its strength. The great philosopher Linus said, “Worrying won’t stop the bad things from happening; it just stops you from enjoying the good things.”

Worrying about small things can create significant problems for us. A meteorologist studied fog that is so dense that you cannot see 6 feet in front of you, and it covers an area 7 blocks square, 100 feet from the ground up. That fog will be made up of only one large glass of water. If you break down that one glass of water, you will find millions of tiny drops. That one large glass of water all by itself causes no problem, but when it’s fog, it can paralyze a city and create many accidents. Worrying converts a glass of water into a dangerous, dense fog.

Fog can also have a different meaning. One day, I saw a friend and asked, “How are you doing?” I expected some stock answer. I was amazed when my friend replied, “I’m living in the fog.” My first reaction was surprise, and the thought occurred to me that the response was rather odd. It sounded negative. Who wants to live in the fog? It sounds like they were depressed, grieving, or confused. Then my friend said, “Living in the fog means I’m living in the Favor Of God.” Wow! What an answer! Living in the Favor Of God is a beautiful way to live every day.

To worry or not to worry is a choice. We had more time to think during the pandemic. We found lots to worry about, and we found lots to be grateful for, such as more time with our family, time to read, and learning new ways to reach out. We may have discovered a new hobby or a new recipe. Maybe now is the time for us to share all the good things that have happened with each other. We can drive our lives through this dangerous fog or live in the FOG in the Favor Of God. It is your choice! I personally believe God is with us; He is bringing us together, and as we have been saying and I pray, we will continue to say, we are in this together, and together, we will make it through whatever comes our way. We are family.

Blessings,

Misty