Angela Dah-ling

Cats have gotten it right. They don’t worry about anything. And everything turns out just ducky.  I wish I could be like them. Or failing that, I wish I could be like the unflappable Mary of the Bible–the one who sat by Jesus’ feet and listened to his every word, while her sister behaved like Martha Stewart on 15 cups of coffee.   We should remember Mary’s response this Thanksgiving, when things start to get out of hand, and we start to boil over like the brussels sprouts or the green beans casserole we’re about to serve.  Here’s an excerpt from my WORRYWART’S PRAYER BOOK  that explains it better:

“See, Jesus knows we worrywarts are a struggling bunch. And he knew in this instance, Martha meant well, but her anxious thoughts spiraled out of control.   Rather than shooing the negativity away, she invited it in, took on the role of  victim, and turned a perfectly lovely visit into an embarrassing episode for herself, Jesus,and her sister.

Had she have countered her anxieties with three positive sentences, something like This meal is turning out to be more work than I thought—but thank goodness Mary is keeping Jesus company. If we were both in the kitchen, he’d be sitting there all by his lonesome, things might have played out differently.  But Martha was more involved with the process than with the person. Her mind was “distracted” with everything but her guest. God’s in the details, they say. But in this case, He was in the livingroom, waiting for her to make him feel welcome.  Now Mary, on the other hand, had a different set of priorities. And it’s only one opinion, but I think she was focused, not lazy.   My Friend, Lord, and Savior is in my house, she must have said to herself, and I’m going to sit and listen to what he has to say.  Fact is Mary might have even guessed her sister would throw a tantrum, but she didn’t care. Whatever transpired, Mary wasn’t worried. What’s more, she was not about to put Jesus off.  She didn’t say, “Okay, after I cook, and after I clean up, and after I put away the dishes…and do all the mundane things that don’t amount to a hill of beans, I will sit and visit with the one and only Son of God.”

Not on your life. When it came to Jesus, Mary was tunnel-visioned. She knew who she was dealing with, and she knew the importance he deserves. So she literally dropped everything and paid attention only to him.

I have two words for people who fear death so much, they can’t enjoy life: Merry Christmas.  These words offer hope to a once hopeless world because through the miracle of Christmas, God has arranged it so that no one has to be afraid to die anymore. The Bible says “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.’
                                            
But let’s examine how death fits into the picture in the first place. “Death came into the world,” the Bible says, because of what one man (Adam) did, and it is because of what this other man, (Christ) has done; now there is the resurrection from the dead.” (1 Corinthians 16.)

In essence by coming back from the grave, Christ rendered death moot. It was set in motion by sin, and that couldn’t change. But because Christ rose, we now know death is not final. It no longer has a hold on us. It can’t hurt us anymore.  It’s lost its “sting.”  Our Savior, Jesus, has vanquished death, and the Bible affirms the good news. Isaiah 25:8 tells us the Lord “will swallow up death forever.”  David says “God has delivered my soul from death.” John says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn (it), but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jesus, Himself says, “Don’t be afraid. I am the living one! I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.  I have authority over death.” Rev. 1:18. TEV and Paul says, “He has ended the power of death, and through the gospel has revealed immortal life.” (2Tim 1:10 TEV ) but probably spells it out best for us worrywarts by explaining, “He became flesh and blood to destroy the devil, who has the power over death, and in this way set free those who were (are) slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.” 

Because the scary part for most of us isn’t so much the dying—but what comes afterwards: final judgment. Our sins make us fear and tremble at the thought of the Almighty. And that’s the worry that Jesus has done away with. By coming to earth and suffering for us, Jesus has removed the fear because He’s removed the sin.  Jesus stood in for us, was judged, paid our debt, and God accepted his offering.  In that magnanimous effort, our sin slate was wiped clean, and our ability to say “No” to sin and (spiritual) death were secured. 

So if we accept Jesus, following His Word as best we can and begging His forgiveness when we fail, we have no reason to fear God’s wrath—and can stand before Him without quaking. We have Jesus’ promise on that: “I assure you,” He tells us, “those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent me shall have eternal life.  They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”  

As if that weren’t good news enough, there’s more. Because our old sinful selves were joined with Jesus and died with him, they will also rise with Him.  “For I will live again,” Jesus explained, “and you will, too.”    

 Okay, but that doesn’t mean the bodies we’re in now won’t go the way of all flesh. On the contrary, we are temporary people. We are destined to expire. The Bible says “Yet, even though Christ lives within you, your body will die because of sin; but your spirit will live, for Christ has pardoned it.”  So it’s as though we get rid of our outer casing which was dust in the first place and will decompose back to dust, and free up the other part of us, our spirit, to be joined to the new improved bodies Paul tells us about.  

Actually, Paul says that getting rid of these earthly bodies is a prerequisite to getting into heaven. He says, “These perishable bodies are not the right kind to live forever.”  And if that’s the case, why anguish about letting them go?  

Indeed, because of God’s immense love for us, and what happened in that stable long ago, we don’t have to agonize over losing our bodies or our souls. “We will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the day of judgment,” the Bible says, “but can face Him with confidence and joy because he loves us…. And His perfect love eliminates all dread of what he might do to us.”  So we can take death—and for that matter, the struggles and pain of life—off our worry list for good. We no longer have to behave like “cowering,  fearful slaves,” anxious about living and petrified of dying because Jesus gives us the strength to survive one and has broken the bond of the other.  So let’s exchange fear and terror for faith and hope. Let’s rejoice in what Christ’s birth and death accomplished. And let’s never stop thanking God for the gift of Jesus, because as the choirs and carolers remind us each year in their songs of praise: “Man will live forever because of Christmas Day.”

Celtic Cross at the Rock of Cashel

While we were investigating the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary, my friend, Lauren Yarger, wrote this fantastic review of THE WORRYWART’S PRAYER BOOK, on her blog, Christian Performing Arts, which I’d like to  share: Thanks, Lauren. Glad you liked it.

http://christianperformers.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-review-worrywarts-prayer-book-by.html

“If the amount of things I do in a day has me worrying over how I’m going to get them all done, clearly, I need a time-out.  When things get this bad, I need to stop, make a list of commitments…and prioritize.  I do this, and I’m amazed at how much of what I do isn’t really all the necessary.”

I should also remember that “everything will ultimately work its way out according to what is in God’s Daytimer, not mine,” and that  “On Judgment Day, God will probably not be interested in how much I included in my day, but how much of my day included Him,” (p.36)

I’m just going to have to reread my book…yet again…that is, when I get a minute.

And hey, I have a feeling I wrote a blog….just like this…not too long ago…a reoccuring theme for sure.

Methinks I have to try a lot harder to get a grip. Me also thinks it’s easier said than done. Case in point: what happened over the Easter holiday.

It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, one of my puddies (my surrogate son) got sick.  I frowned; I fretted. I tried to be strong and sensible…. “The facts, Ma’am,” I kept telling my brain. “Just examine the facts. Don’t go borrowing trouble. Don’t go imagining the worst. What happened doesn’t have to be life-threatening….that is, not unless you make it so.  If you act logically; make good decisions based on available information, everything should turn out okay. Now, ask God to help you and leave it in His hands.   Trust God, believe in Him. This is an easy fix for Him, so don’t get all emotional.”

Did I listen to my own voice of wisdom? Nah. I worked myself up into a stupor; had knots in my stomach; cried; pestered the vet; screamed at God; drove my husband crazy. 

I have to say I read my book, and it did tend to calm me…especially the prayers. And I did try to keep busy, which also helped. I wanted to just hide and sulk, but I forced myself not to give in completely.

 In fact, now that I think of it, I wasn’t as bad as I would have been two years ago, when I’d have been ordering the cat’s headstone, and searching the garden for a quiet resting place.

So, I think I’m getting a LITTLE better. 

On the other hand, in retrospect, I realize I brought the stress on myself.  I should have  tried harder to chase it away.  It was much easier to give in to worry and harder not to.

So I get low grades this time.  But, as they say in business… going forward, I’m going to be stricter with myself. I’m going to remember what  Thomas Jefferson said, (no wonder he was President)….”How much pain have cost us the evils WHICH HAVE NEVER HAPPENED.” 

If it didn’t hurt so much, I’d get that tattooed on my arm.

“Death came into the world,” the Bible says, “because of what one man (Adam) did, and it is because of what this other man (Christ) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead.”

“We picture death as coming to destroy; let us rather picture Christ as coming to save.  We think of death as ending; let us rather think of life as beginning, and that more abundantly…. We think of going away; let us think of arriving.”  ~Norman MacLeod~

Happy Easter….No worries.