Greetings on behalf of the 63d RD,
"Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these." Matthew 6:27-29
I have to admit that I have been a worrier at times. I have a placard that my spouse gave me that reminds me, “Don’t worry, have faith.” I hung this in my office where my eyes will always glance, and I stop and look at it from time to time. If I look at my life in perspective with others that live all around the world, I have it pretty easy and should not worry much, but at times I still do. I think it is just part of living no matter where one resides. Circumstance and severity doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to worry. It is something we all do from time to time.
The scripture states that we cannot increase our span of life by worrying, in fact it decreases our span of life by worrying. Chronic worrying leads to anxiety and one can become physically ill. Our worrying cannot prevent bad things from happening, it only causes bad things to happen to the one that worries. Worriers are at risk for a greater chance of heart attacks and cardiovascular problems. Worry seems to be heart related.
Consider the wildflowers at the mercy of nature. Nature can bring drought, wind and torrential rain that can all harm flowers, yet God states here that their growth and appearance, no matter at what stage or quality the flower find themselves, far exceeds all the splendor of Solomon’s riches and beauty he obtained on this earth. How much more beautiful are people compared to flowers? How much more does God’s heart lean towards our welfare compared to these flowers? This is how Gods see us.
How can faith help worry? You have trust in money to allow you to live within this world, but when money is gone so too is your livelihood, but faith in what God promises remains. Faith in God tells us that when money or circumstance is not in our favor, it is then that we have to have faith that God will make a way, even when it seems impossible in man’s eyes. Why would God do that for us? God sees us as more than a flower. God sees us, our heart. He sees our whole being and how precious we are to Him. All the gold in the world cannot out shine, or out value us in God’s eyes. If you were to see and value something like this wouldn’t you also do everything you could to preserve and protect what was so precious in your sight? This is the God we need to know, “Don’t worry, have faith.”
My prayer for today:
God of my heart, how precious we are in Your sight. Allow us this day to comprehend and feel from Your heart how much You love and desire to care for us, especially when we worry about the things of this world that are out of our control. Lord, help us to understand Your place within our lives, how much bigger You are compared to our worst fear. Give us the peace within the storm, and then cover and provide for us as You hold us close until the storms we are weathering have passed, amen.
CH (MAJ) Dawn Siebold
Here is the direct email and phone number for anyone requesting support
From the 63d RD Chaplain office,
usarmy.usarc.63-rsc.list.chaplain-all-users@mail.mil
650-526-9668