My husband has a favorite expression that he likes to repeat, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!” and then he adds, “Everything is small stuff” and then I always tack on, “In God’s eyes.”

How true!  When I am unable, He is able.  When I am weak, He is strong.  When I feel burdened I need only to cast my burdens on Him.  God can handle anything, why is it then that I continue to worry and fret?

My children would call it a “Mom thing” to worry.  Perhaps they are right.  It’s my perogative to wonder and worry about them especially when they have a car and can go wherever they like.  I have great kids.  I trust my kids (although sometimes they doubt that when I am constantly grilling them the “who, what, where” questions.)  I thought I’d worry less now that they are young adults.  I was wrong.  I think about them constantly and pray they are remembering all the things we tried to teach them as they were growing up.  When I know they are struggling, I want to rush in and “save” them, but I’m reminded time and time again that it’s not up to me to do that.  They have to make their own way and they have to discover for themselves how they fit into God’s story.  Still I worry.  It’s a “mom thing”.

My husband is calm and composed, if he worries, he seldom shows it.  I know his burdens because he shares them with me.  Perhaps he knows that I will worry enough for the both of us so he doesn’t need to.  Maybe that’s a “wife thing”.

Philippians 4: 6-7 has always been a worrisome scripture for me. : “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   Yeah, I said it,… “worrisome”!  I’m worrying over a scripture that says “do not be anxious”…that’s definitely a “Lynn thing”!

But it does worry me because try as I might to NOT worry, I still do!  The Gospels outline several circumstances in Jesus’ life where He was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled”…in other words, Jesus worried!  John 11:33 (after Lazarus’ death); Matthew 26:36-38, and Mark 14:32-34 (in the Garden of Gethsemane); John 12:27 (after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem) and John 13:21 (The Last Supper).  Especially the Gospel of John, chapters 11-13, is like a “trilogy of trouble” for Jesus, from the death of his beloved friend Lazarus, the plot to kill Jesus, Jesus’ predicting His own death, predicting His own betrayal and predicting that Peter would deny Him,  Jesus had good reason to be troubled (worried).  Yet amazingly the opening line of John 14 Jesus speaks these words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled…”   Wow!

In His humanity Jesus did worry but unlike most humans He did not let worry overwhelm Him.  He did not run away or avoid a troubling or worrisome experience.  He faced the experience with boldness and courage even though He knew that He would suffer great pain and even death.  Jesus was focused.  He knew that the worries of this world would be shortlived and His eyes were fixed on eternity.  When He was troubled, He practiced what He preached: He made his requests known to His Father through prayer and thanksgiving and He was comforted and at peace.

I can’t help but think on the lyrics of this great hymn today:

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”

I won’t sweat the small stuff because I know everything is small stuff in God’s eyes.