Don't Bother Praying

   My friend Linda had surgery in December, and spent the better part of January in physical therapy regaining strength. She was delighted to once again be in control of her daily schedule, to sleep in her own bed, and to resume her life, but she was also worried. Many of us who have witnessed loved ones try to recovery from a fall or surgery or have even gone through it ourselves know, it is not an easy transition. There are a dozens of daily and weekly tasks that become strenuous to accomplish.
   So, there she was, a few days from returning home after over a month in two different local medical facilities, and worrying about it. She said as much to one of the folks where she was in physical therapy and they offered her a piece of wisdom that she passed on to me. I thought so much of it, I am sharing it with you. The woman told Linda,

If you're going to pray, don't worry. If you're going to worry, don't bother praying.

I love this. Of course, she was reworking the essence of Jesus' words to those gathered around him when he preached the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:34 records Jesus saying, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."
   In my years of visiting and counseling with friends of all ages, this might be the passage I quote more often than any other. Almost everyone struggles with worry. It is human nature. It is not the nature of one who is seeking after the will of God, though. Worry is about fear, prayer is about trust. We cannot have both. Which do I choose?
   May you choose wisely and live abundantly. Grace and Peace, Scott