I was miserable…….and I shouldn’t have been. I was on vacation, after all.  Isn’t vacation supposed to be the happiest time of the year for our families?  Don’t get me wrong the whole trip wasn’t a bust.  But there were certain moments I would have been glad to pack up and head home.  Have you ever been there?  Over the New Year’s holiday our family took some time away for a trip to the beach.  We showed up at the resort and were given our room number.  I didn’t pay much attention to it until we stepped off the elevator.  We were 10 floors up and you could see straight down to the ground.  Sure, there were rails but, heaven forbid, what if one was loose!  I immediately instructed my kids to walk along the wall and stay away from the railing.  After we were safely tucked in our rooms (or so I thought) I begin unloading the luggage cart.  Two minutes later I hear my daughter exclaiming excitedly, “Look, Daddy!  It’s so pretty.”  The little booger and her shadow (a.k.a. my son) had made their way onto the balcony.  Trying to control my emotions and not pass on my panicky feelings I left the sliding glass door open for viewing but instructed them to stay inside.  Again, crisis averted.  The next day offered more stresses.  It was unseasonably warm while we were there (thanks, El Niño) and my kids were able to go down to the shore and play in the sand and on the edge of the water.  Any time they got close to the water I was scared out of my mind.  Having dealt with minor scares around water in my lifetime my fears were magnified with my kids around.  On top of that the sun was shining so brightly and wind blowing so heavily it caused my eyes to water.  I couldn’t hardly see a thing.  My wife sensed my tenseness and tried to calm my fears but her pleas fell on deaf ears.  I couldn’t be consoled.  At times my own fear paralyzed me.  Later we would go to the mall and, again, I felt myself hovering.  I want to instill independence in my children but I always worry someone will take them or they’ll walk off and get lost (too many Lifetime movies, no doubt).  I’m honestly not sure what came over me but I worried almost the entire trip.

Have you been there? No matter how hard you try your mind is bombarded by fears and worries.  For me, some days are good and other days (like our vacation), I’d rather lock my family in a protective bubble and go take a nap.  I look around me and I am see so many dealing with anxiety-type issues.  Why?  I sense it’s because we’ve forgotten who we serve and the power He has to protect us.  Please don’t misinterpret the preceding statement.  My intent is not to diminish the fears and anxiety issues many deal with.  I’ve been there.  But sometimes we all need a reminder.  Matthew asks us, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” [6:27]  We all know the answer to that.  We can probably shorten our lives with blood pressure issues and such due to allow worry to take center stage.  I love the NIV’s version of 1 Peter 5:7.  It states, “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.”  It’s not God’s desire that His children walk around worrying about things He’s already working out.  From our point of view we see mountains.  God’s perspective reveals a speck of dust that could be blown away– if He chooses to.  That’s the BIG God you serve.  But have you considered sometimes He allows certain things in our lives as a stepping stone for something greater?  Job life stands as an example of just that.  Just a thought.

Closing remarks and encouragement:  I don’t know what you’re dealing with today but I want you to know you’re not alone.  You’re never alone!  Share this with someone who needs to hear it.  The things we worry about may seem minimal to the casual onlooker–but when our minds latch onto something it’s hard to control our thinking at times.  Be someone’s shoulder to cry on or ear to listen today (or find your ‘someone’ if you’re worrier).  But, make no mistake, every word you say should point back to the One powerful enough to turn the most terrible day around.