Life in the worry Lane.

       You know what I am talking about don't you.  Everything seems to pile up, everything starts to compound together making stress levels elevate.  I am one of those that allows it all to pile up and then have migraines for a month.  Uggh, life what do you do?  The whole while you can quote verses from the Bible to yourself, but if yourself is not listening or chooses not to believe those truths you can be in a world of hurt.  You can get a lot of great advice too, but the advice only works if you listen and not everything that works for one will work for you.  So what to do?  One of my sweet friends told me to give it to God.....I thought I have a million times. I gave it some more, but I was kind of giving like when one of my children rolls their eyes and states "Yes, Ma'am" because they have too.  Really this was a heart issue and my heart was overwhelmed.  I was giving my "stuff" to God, but then I was taking it right back.  Uh, Hello.  I promise it was doing absolutely no good at all.   What I learned is...
1 God is in control whether or not I allow Him to be in that position. 
2.  Yielding is painful when you want to control things.  It is better to flow with it.
3. I do not deserve such a loving Husband who takes great care of me when I am sick.
4. I only have so much time in the day.  Therefore I complete the plans God for me to
    do and the rest of the stuff is not important. That doesn't mean I don't teach my children
    or clean up my house, or cook dinner.  It means I don't have to do it all today.  It is okay to save something for tomorrow.
 5. Life is so much easier and better when you dance with the Creator and not on His toes.

Everyone talks about life mantras, you know what you tell yourself during the day.  Each season has a different one.  Right now I have been focusing on
Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  You know you can tell yourself this and the other verses I have listed but when you doubt it. You are doubting God's ability to do what he has told you. When you catch yourself falling, do you stop to grab on to the truth rooted in your heart or are you like me who falls a little longer (when you hit the bottom). Then go wait a minute.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast your anxiety on him because he cares for you. and Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.  He quiets me with His Love, God loves me and you what can really be that bad.  Like a momma rocking her baby or toddler holding on and say shh.  Rocking them to calm the child, he has us in His arms too. He takes great delight in me and you, not just when we are on the top of the mountain but in the valley too.  God doesn't pick or chose.  Today I love Erica, tomorrow not so much. My favorite part of Zephaniah 3:17 though is that God sings over me.  He sings over me!!! Sinful, broken, messed up, imperfect me.  Not only that it is because he is rejoicing over me.  We sing to Him with prayer or song but does it to us too. Wow! The God of the universe sings over us.
 Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. I think, I know this is the hardest verse to follow through on.  Why? 1. to be anxious about nothing, uh hello a mom here. When are we not. 2. We are to be thankful when we give to God.  Dear God, thank you for my migraine....this is hard to be thankful when you are in pain.  It is hard to be thankful when you are broken.  But it is not impossible.  There is always something in your life to be thankful for.  Hello, I am breathing. I have beautiful children. I have a caring, providing husband.  Most importantly I am still in Gods hands.   
     Bottom line, when your heart isn't right it really doesn't matter what you say and do.  When you are more focused on the small little stuff, you can not focus on the big stuff.  When I chose to do life my way.  I will never have the joy God intended me to have in the daily life he has allowed me to have.  And the life he intended me to have is beautiful and a blessing. A dance that can be graceful, when I allow God to lead and not step all of his toes.  In the Light of Day.  Life in the worry lane is not life at all.  It is a place where there is some serious toe stepping going on.