Scattered Like Leaves

SCATTERED LIKE LEAVES

Finally, I was able to take my preschool students outdoors yesterday to play.  It was even warm enough to shed our coats.   However, it was rather windy.  At one point during their play, the children noticed a large gust of wind blowing dead leaves through the air—here, there, and everywhere.  The leaves went where the wind took them.  One little boy, enjoying the frequent gusts of wind, spread his arms wide and yelled, “This is a great day to learn how to fly!”

Our thoughts, worries and concerns can be like those dead leaves—negative, unfocused, scattered here, there and everywhere—going wherever our current emotional state takes them.  The alternative is to try to deal with our troubles and find a way to rise above them.  But how is this achieved?  Let’s visit our Great Counselor and see what He has to say about worry:

·         Matthew 6:25-34  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food or drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds.  They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your Heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And why worry about your clothing?  Look at the lilies in the field and how they grow.  They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you.  Why do you have so little faith?  So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?  What will we drink?  What will we wear today?  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.  So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.

·         Matthew 8:26  “Why are you afraid?  You have so little faith.”

·         Luke 24:34  “Don’t let your hearts be dulled…by the worries of this life.  Pray that you might remain strong.”

·         1Peter 5:7  “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

·         Proverbs 12:25  Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

·         Philippians 4:6  Don’t worry about ANYTHING; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

Like shedding our coats on a warm day, we must learn to shed the weight of our worries.  The world cannot help us do this.  The only One capable and truly willing to help is Jesus.  Instead of going through your day with your thoughts scattered, learn to focus—to focus on Christ and His promises to us, His teachings, His desires for us.  This takes practice.  If it takes posting STOP signs around your house, in your car, at your workplace (although you might be considered strange by your coworkers-hee!), do it!  Post STOP signs to remind you to STOP; now refocus your thoughts!  Stop your worries, and focus on Jesus.  Memorize Scripture verses about worry.  Post them on your refrigerator, on your car’s dashboard, and on your work desk. 

Think about those leaves scattering outdoors, and make a conscious decision to “rake” your concerns together and put them in a pile before God.  He will help you get rid of them, but you must ask Him.  If you ask and continue to worry, you lack faith.  Ask God even for this – more faith and trust.  He made us, he understands our weaknesses, and He knows we are like babies who grow in baby steps.  He’ll help you and guide you.  Stay focused on Him, not your troubles!  Now, take time to notice.  Notice what?  All God has done for you in the past and all He is doing for you now.  Did you wake up today?  God did that!  Look diligently for all the beauty and good things happening all around you every day-even a flower blooming!  The world focuses on the negative, so Christians have to diligently look for and focus on positive things.  Be aware of what you are reading, watching on television, listening to music-wise.  In order to be positive, you must focus on the positive—Philippians 4:8 tells us, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  

Like the little boy who spread his arms in the wind so he could practice “flying,” Jesus spread His arms for us on the cross.  Like children who spread their arms out to show a parent how much they love them, Jesus did so for us to show us how much He loves us.  When you see a picture of Jesus’s arms spread wide open and nailed to the cross, be reminded of how much He loves you.  Then, like the little boy in the wind, consider it a” great day to learn how to fly”—to fly above your worries—by depending on Christ’s love for you!