Daily Devotion - Wednesday, February 2

Struggles of the Soul

“Therefore do not worry, saying
‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What will we wear?”
--A teaching from Jesus (Matthew 6:31)

A saying to consider:
Worry is the darkroom for developing negatives.

Just completed a phone call with a person that I am privileged to counsel. Her road has been plagued by some pretty disastrous stuff. The journey has been so troubled that I find myself wondering at times how she has even survived. I asked her how her week had been and she said the “baggage” or “stuff” from the week gone by was really not all that important.

I listened. I found her able to detail in a couple of minutes what previously would have taken her an hour to tell. I found her capable of processing small stuff that just a couple of weeks ago would have been overwhelming. She is moving out of worry. She is less negative. She is learning not to sweat the small stuff. She is discovering that many of the things that used to be troubling aren’t worth it!

It is a struggle to resist worry. It is truly a blessing when trust comes into a life clouded by overwhelming difficulty. If you are struggling with some extra baggage, I would encourage you to name it, claim it and leave it in a darkroom.

Have a better day; may you find your worries minimized.

--Ben Keckler
02.02.11