Who hasn’t struggled to learn something? One difficult thing for me was trying to learn how to drive a straight shift. Did you notice the word “trying?” I still don’t have the hang of it. But there is something else that I have also found to be quite the challenge. For me, it’s not just a matter of learning something new, but rather unlearning something old.
When I said “old,” I was referring to a habit that learned as a child. I watched my mom and Mamaw Jo worry all the time. It was constant. After one worry was over, another soon took its place. So, not only did I learn how to fret, but I took it to a whole new level that was above what Mom and Mamaw Jo could do. How did I achieve that feat? In a nut shell, I used my very vivid imagination. I thought up worrisome situations and events that most people probably wouldn’t even dare to consider. I guess you could say that worrying was a twisted form of art for me. If awards had been given out for it, I would have had to buy cases in order to display them.
I truly believed that was how all adults lived. Then I grew up and got off of the family farm. That’s when I began to get exposed to how other people thought. One thing that really surprised me was the people who refused to worry. It was mind blowing to me. How could you not fret when there were so many things about which you were supposed to worry.
Then came the fateful day I had my eyes opened about fretting. Tim and I were visiting some friends and they were discussing a problem. Our friend shrugged his shoulders and said: “Oh well, I’m not going to worry about it. It’ll work out.” To be honest, his attitude aggravated me. After we got into the car, I told Tim that I wanted to shake our friend and ask what was wrong with him. Tim asked me what was wrong with not worrying. I politely replied, “It’s irresponsible!” Tim asked me if I didn’t totally trust the Lord. That’s when it hit home. As Mamaw Jo used to say: “It hit me upside the head!” For the first time in my life, I realized was the one who was doing wrong by worrying.
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalm 56:3-4 (KJV)
For one, my worrying was a way of trying to control situations or even the possible outcomes that I had imagined. Obviously, that was and is not my place to do that; it’s The Lord’s. For another, I should put my faith and trust in the One who knows better for me than I could ever do.
So, do I still worry? Honestly, I work on it every day. I have to admit that not worrying all the time it has been rather liberating, especially when I’m in the mood for some chocolate.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.