New found freedom!

I tend to worry more than I should.  It's not a good quality - as in I even lose sleep because I play the worst case scenario repeatedly in my mind.  Control freak (maybe?)  I worry about a variety of things in my life but mostly our daughters.

With each stage of life there are new experiences, trials and changes.  Ah change!!!!!  Change and I are not good friends, we do not get along.  Give me my structure, schedule and lists and it's all good. 

Our family loves after church visiting.  Generally we are one of the last families to leave.  It was like that when my husband was the Youth Pastor and now that he plays on the majority of the music teams we can generally be found at the front of the church cleaning up music equipment and visiting.

One particular Sunday I was visiting with someone and I was sharing about our oldest daughter going to work at camp this summer and that she would be gone for four weeks!  I don't know how I am going to handle it!!!!!  She goes away to a youth retreat weekend, or a sleepover and I miss her terribly and have trouble sleeping.  You know what my friend said to me:

"Do you think you can take better care of her than God can?"​

Sometimes you need a friend to give you a kick in the butt.  At first I was like, "Wow, harsh!"  Then I slowly began to realize how true her words are.

​Two weeks later I had an opportunity to exercise this new found wisdom.  Our daughter left for a youth retreat at a Christian College that is a couple of hours away from our home.  I dropped her off at the meeting spot - went back to my vehicle, paused for a moment and prayed for her weekend.

As she came to mind that weekend and worry began to settle in - I would stop and pray.  

And you know what happened?  I found peace and I felt freedom.  It was AWESOME!!!

Whenever I would quiet my heart to pray for her, I would listen to what my heart was telling me to pray for.  So instead of worrying I began praying that she would meet a mentor - someone that would be a positive influence in her life, that would be a good listener for when she needed someone other than her Mom and someone that she could connect with occasionally.  

On Sunday I was excited to pick her up to hear about the weekend.  I got to the church early and wrote in my journal while I was waiting anxiously for her return.  Eventually my very sleep deprived daughter arrived and had enough energy left to share about the weekend.  She had an amazing time - lots of fun activities, found a new love of lattes and she met an amazing girl that is a student at the college and just happens to be dating a guy from our church.

I could feel the smile in my heart, as I was so very thankful for a Father who listens, and cares and protects what we hold so very dear.  This girl, this answer to prayer has attended our church a few times with her boyfriend's family and she always makes time for our daughter and the other teens she connected with that weekend.

There is freedom in giving our cares & worries to the One that holds us in His hand - that knows the number of hairs on our heads.  

The next time worry sets in and steals peace and freedom from you, quiet your heart and place your worries at the foot of the cross.  He's got this.