Not your plans but God

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble. Psalm 32:7-11

Good Morning! ~ Trouble in my Hands

Good Morning! - When Trouble Knocks God

Good Morning! ~ When Tragedy Strikes, God Don't Make Sense

Good Morning! - God is Calling You

Uncle Henry’s worry box

Tig & Uncle Henry - Dallas Zoo, 1969

Read: Psalm 25:14-18

The troubles of my heart have enlarged… Psalm 25:17

The aroma of King Edward’s cigars engulfed Uncle Henry. His appearance was always scraggly with a scrubby face, but his presence commanded attention.  He was a man of few words but when spoke they were succinct. Though he never finished grade school, Uncle Henry was a wise and intelligent man.

Williams’ Grocery was the neighborhood corner store in South Dallas, which was the lifeline of South Oak Cliff. The sight of a tall lanky man with a big gnawed cigar grin warmly greeted every customer. I remember spending weekends and long hot summers watching Uncle Henry counsel, minister and become the local banker to patrons young and old. 

On a shelf behind the cash register sat a cigar box filled with scraps of paper.  Every so often, a customer asked to speak privately with Uncle Henry.  After a short conversation, he would scribble in a notebook, rip the page out and place in the cigar box. For years, I thought the pieces of paper were receipts or maybe IOUs.  Until one slow, hot boring day while tossing up a ball, I knocked over the cigar box. In the effort to clean up the scraps I soon discovered each piece of paper had notes inscribed – “This too shall pass,”  “Lord, Bless Ms. Johnnie,”  “the Lord will make away.”

As Uncle Henry approached, I asked about the box. To my surprise, he told me it was his worry box that anytime a customer did not pay a tab, something bothered him or if he did not have funds to pay a bill he would write it down on a piece of paper and put it away in the box. The intent was to not think about the worries but to write them down and do not think about them anymore. It was his way of giving problems to God and forgetting the problem. It was during the hardship of dealing with racism, discrimination, and Jim Crow laws he learned to pray, write problems down, and give it to the Lord. By passing them to God, Uncle Henry knew everything would be all right.

 

LaVerne & Uncle Henry - 1983

It took many decades for me to formulate my own worry box, learning how not to worry. God’s word forever reminds us to walk by faith not by sight, God is a heavy load barrier, and to pray and leave our burdens at the altar.  However, for some strange reason the Miseducation of man, we believe we can cope and deal with our problems better than the creator himself – God.   Anxiety in the heart can cause depression but if we trust in God, the burdens can be bearable.  We have to learn how to walk in faith.

Whatever problems you are facing – health, economic crisis, jobs, families or life – worry does not solve them.  Take time to pray and give God your problems. He will relieve the troubled heart and free it from anguish. Learn how not to worry but sing a joyful noise of praise!

My Uncle Henry may have not have looked wealthy but he was rich with God’s blessing and highly favored. I loved being around Uncle Henry because each day was a learning experience, every so often I long to be enriched with snippets of his wisdom and knowledge. But one thing is for sure I do not worry any more.  Thank you Uncle Henry for your worry box.

Prayer

Gracious Father,

I surrender myself to you. I surrender my worries, problems and troubles. I am giving them all to you by placing them on the altar. Cover and guide me Lord.  Remind me that you are in control whenever I try to take my troubles from you! Troubles don’t last all ways and Lord you bring joy in the morning. I praise your holy name.  Amen.

Good morning! - facing trouble alone

When Trouble Knocks

Read - Psalm 32: 7-11

Don't be like the horse or mule which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with  bit and bridle. Psalm 32:9

When trouble knocks

The still of night is always awakened when trouble knocks or it kicks in a door. Strangers lurk invisible, like a lion seeking to destroy. They snatch life, and worldly possessions out of your grasp. It’s a hurting feeling when intruders violate your home. 

When trouble knocks people do crazy things that don’t make sense. Emotions supersede logic and all chaos breaks through. Lost job, people in need money, or the house note is due, so it’s okay to rob?

When trouble knocks people become numb, confused, frustrated, helpless, and hopeless.  What do you do or who do you call? Don’t take matters into your hands by leaning upon your own understanding seek a higher power – God?

When trouble knocks cries go up to the Father “please answer the call.” Cover and protect your children through their turmoil.

Facing Challenges

When faced with challenges in life we often contemplate the worse. All too often we strategize on what “we” plan to do oppose to calling on the power and source which passes all understanding – God.

I love David for many reasons.  Despite the fact he was a rascal who committed adultery, a murderer, and liar, who sinned before God, David knew what to do when he encountered calamities in life. He sought God’s heart. Even when David’s E.G.O. – Edged God Out – he always game back and never allowed it to get in the way of his relationship with God.

David in the storm

In the middle of David’s storms he often prayed expressing how he felt: “Have mercy on me O Lord for I am in trouble my eye wastes away with grief… I am a broken vessel… Give ear to my prayer God and don’t hide yourself from my supplication.” David learned to cast ALL his burdens on the Lord and God sustained him every time!

What trouble is knocking at your door – health trouble, finance, trouble, loved ones or friend troubles what do you do?

Cheer up and turn to God’s word and trust in his mercy. Though you may walk through the valley of shadows of death, remember not to fear or worry because God is with you and he will comfort you.  When you seek fresh new help and guidance from God He will show you his ways and lead you in his truth. Then you can be rest assured than when trouble knocks it will not last always because God got your back!

 Prayer

Father God,

You know when trouble knocks at my door. I pray that you will take over the situation.  I release the troubles allowing you to take full control. May the Holy Spirit rest and abide over me bringing your light and peace to dark circumstances. In the name of Jesus hear my cry. Amen.

Don’t worry be happy... it solves no problems



Worrying man
Image by: Tigner J.

 How much pain worry has cost us, the evils which have never happened. - Thomas Jefferson




Worrying stinks!

Let’s face it, everyone has worried about something. At a young age we plague our mind with this debilitating mental disease. It begins in school worrying about test, or agonizing over some form of punishment. This phase of worry accelerates into adulthood where we lose countless hours of sleep worrying over jobs, money, bills, and family. Worry leads to emotional distress. “Worry Solves No Problems!” – L.V. Rand


Worry. This word has transcended generations causing people to feel uneasy about something; in many cases nothing, just worrying to worry. Individuals find themselves tormenting over situations which are completely out of their control yet they feel it is their duty to come up with a plan to solve this nonexistent problem. Great leaders have been quoted telling us not to worry; When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened. - Winston Churchill


Bosom Buddies, Worry & Stress

Worry is bosom buddies with stress. when you see one eventually his sidekick is not far out of sight. Stress, is added baggage such as physical side-effects; headaches, anxiety, irritability, anger, and depression. Throw in illness, distress, economic crisis, loss of love ones, and a myriad of tragedies people can easily validate and say there are ample reasons, to worry. Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. - Leo Buscaglia



Don’t worry about tomorrow

The Bible provides us with reasons why not to worry. Nevertheless Christians believe their ways are right and totally ignore God’s word. Matt. 6:33-34 tells us to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to us. He goes on to say do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. In Luke 12:22-30 Jesus takes it a step further; “not to worry about your life, or what you will eat. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying. - Dale Carnegie


Don’t worry Meditate

Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life, mentions “if a person can worry he can meditate”. The energy and time wasted contemplating tribulations can be positively used meditating.

• Meditation is communicating with God in the form of a relationship and prayer

• Meditation/prayer it ties oneself with the Supreme being, Deity, creator of heaven and earth. Meditation is nothing more that praying with ceasing. 1Thes. 5:17-18



Praying throughout a busy day

How can one find time to pray when a day is chocked full of activities. The opportunities to talk and thank God during the day are endless; in the car, on the elevator, walking in the parking lot, shopping, or cutting the grass. This is how you Pray, without, ceasing!

• Give a short “thank you” to God throughout the day

• praise and accolades to God

• Recite positive antidotes

There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. - Epictetus

Don’t Worry you can be happy!

I don’t know your state of affairs or if you are one of the millions who go to sleep worried, tossing with sleepless nights. You wake up perplexed and depressed. Find your peace and joy! A person thrives on joy and happiness and cannot allow Satan to continue stealing that from you. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. - Anonymous

• Take time to listen to love ones and fellow Christians who have encouraged, consoled and attempted to pull you from your pit of despair. No true person of God wants to see anyone suffer.

• Take each moment to pull yourself from the doldrums not by yourself but with the help of God


• Seek God as David did; Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalms 25:4-5.

So ask yourself why do you still take matters into your hands and worry? Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere. - Glenn Turner

“In every life we have some trouble When you worry you make it double” so when it is all said and done, find the peace with God and “Don't worry, be happy."

Let us pray:
Father God in the name of Jesus I come before you today wanting to break strongholds of worry. I ask Father God that you will remove worry, doubts and fear from me as well as the readers. Pour your spirit into us Father God and let the words manifest in our spirit. In the Jesus name Amen.