The Worry Box
It was the fifth consecutive day I woke up with a headache. After trying my own remedies and finding them all useless, I asked my father, a general practitioner with over 50 years of experience.
Dad said that early morning headaches were often caused by worry.
“Are you worried about anything?” he asked.
The following day, during my quiet time I made a list of different things I was worried about. Our future, our children, our health, next steps, the list was long.
As I was doing this, I found myself humming a familiar chorus:
“Why worry when you can pray
Trust Jesus he’ll be your stay…”
“How easy it was to sing,'' I thought, “how very hard to live it out.”
I decided to write down Bible verses and do a study on how to deal with worry. It has helped me a lot. This is what I came up with.
After my study of these verses, I came up with my 3- step plan.
Through the day I would recall these verses which I wrote on small cards to put in my handbag, I saved them on my phone and learnt them byheart. I set them to music and sang them.
Every night I gave all my worries to God, imagining that Jesus held a ‘worry box’ in his hand, I dropped them one by one into it as I knelt by my bed.
Each morning I prayed Psalm 90:14 by rephrasing it to make it personal for me.
Satisfy me Lord in the morning with your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days. This verse in the message translation says ‘surprise me Lord in the morning’.
I go about my day now, looking out for God to satisfy me with his unfailing love, to surprise me at every corner! That causes me to be glad and joyful, not just when things are perfect but every single day!
The result is a restful heart.
“Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest.”-Matthew 11:28 NIV
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shoba Ranjitsingh is an architect, writer, a proud mother and an excited new grandmother who works in a Primary school in New Zealand. Shoba enjoys studying God’s word and her role as a STL at Bible Study Fellowship in NZ for 6 years has enabled her to now write and lead Women’s Bible Studies. Helping women study and enjoy God’s word as they embrace each season of life is her prayer as a writer. Long walks, cakes, hymns, coffee, books and quiet family evenings describe Shoba. Ranjit and Shoba live in Auckland.