Matthew 6: 25-27

Rachel Nixon

I got to thinking today; amongst the bustle of the day, about all those little things we worry about, all the day to-day stresses that seem to affect us so much in our individual ways. I think it's far easier than we admit or imagine to let those things affect us, make us worried and so easily stress us out...

Matthew 6: 25-26 tells us "...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

I know it's a well known passage, a favourite in primary school songs if I remember correctly! But seriously, do we really take it on board? I wake up
most mornings, especially now its spring to the birds chattering away and pay no attention to it. God tells us that we are more valuable than any birds, yet if God still feeds them... why do we let all this worry get to us?

I have to admit, I struggle. But this week has, I hope, seen a change in me. A young girl who is involved with one of our 'drop-in type' clubs is really poorly, only 13. She has spent 2 years battling with cancer. I went to visit her, and although we couldn't go in because she was too sick, a 5 minute
conversation with her dad really challenged me, and that's what got me thinking...

It's so easy to go along in this world, with the fast pace, highly strung society we live in, to forget the bigger picture, and worry about all those little things that really don't need to be worried about.

Matthew 6: 27 continues... "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" We can't add any days to our years here on earth by all this worry yet we
constantly fall into the trap. It so easy to waste our time with it, and before we notice, the day's over, the week and then another year. Why not, as corny as it sounds, try to forget all the little things and just appreciate each day for what its worth. Stop worrying about tomorrow or looking forward to next year...
really appreciate the time we have and use it in the best way we can, as in the words of Gandalf... "All we can do is make the best of the time that's given us"