Matthew 6:25 - Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or drink or about your body, what you shall wear. Is not life about more than food or your body about more than clothing?
Do not worry. Why do I have such a hard time with this? I worry constantly. About money mostly. We are in a slump that way and I'm hoping I can get enough hours at TNM to help out. Plus CPE will cost $850, which is a lot of money. Ooof.
I worry about violence. There was another shooting around the corner from our condo yesterday. Conflicting reports about whether the young man is dead or not. Too much gun violence. Not enough love. I feel for the young men in James' Bible Study. They want to get out and it is almost impossible.
I worry about food and clothing. Even though I have not had to miss any meals lately. I worry because we are so behind on our assessments. I worry because we have plans and we must wait for their fulfillment. Food and clothing is another way of saying money!
Money and violence. Jesus lived in a society that was rife with poverty and violence and he found a way to say - seriously - to his followers not to worry. Life is about more than poverty and violence. It is possible to focus our minds on higher things. It is possible to make room in our hearts for love. Because living is about loving and being in community with those we love and care about. Ironically, those are the things that will help us deal with the lack of peace, security, and possessions.
Of course, it is easy to say, do not worry. How do we stop worrying? How do we remind ourselves daily that God is here and we are okay. Even if we are not physically okay. We are strong and he is strong when we aren't. How do we pray when our hearts break for the lives taken too soon? How do we follow you when we know that following means caring about others and caring about others means pain as well as joy?
Help me take that first step today - to reach out to my community.
B
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