Chapter 4

Then John got up and opened the family Bible to MT6:19, and read it out loud to the end of the chapter. After a long pause, Valerie blurted out: “That’s it, I’ve had enough! I’m sick and tired of worrying. I’m sick and tired of being an idiot! I’m going to trust Jesus—I don’t care what happens!” Valerie was truly surprised to hear those words come out of her mouth, but she liked the words, and felt a confidence that she really could trust Jesus with anything. She began to sob tears of utter relief.

John was surprised by Valerie’s words too, and felt like they applied to him as well. He was really struck by her last words, “I don’t care what happens!” He suddenly had an “ Aha !” moment. For the first time, John realized that all their worries were concentrated on the “future”, “what happens” in the future. And Jesus’ final words of the passage he had just read were: “Enough, then, of worrying about tomorrow. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Today has troubles enough of its own.”

Valerie and John discussed the notion of “future”, something they had never really stopped to think about before. They first realized that all their worry was really about “ the future.” Everything is o.k. right now; there’s food in the refrigerator, the bills are paid, they and the kids have shelter and are comfortable. God, indeed, has provided for all their needs, as God has always one for them. And they further realized that God can only provide for then now, because “the future” has not yet arrived as the present moment. They realized “future was just a concept in their heads, and further that their imaginations could spin many scary scenarios, which never tended to actually make it to the here and now. They further saw that they could easily, worry about “the future” for the rest of their lives, even while God provides for them everyday. They thought to worry that way would be the stupidest thing they could do; it would only produce continuous, unnecessary suffering. They realized that whatever comes their way, they could either worry while its coming or not worry while its coming. They decided to choose to not worry, as Jesus had recommended. They figured that this is what Jesus meant by “Enough then, of worrying about tomorrow. Let tomorrow take care of itself.” They both vowed to trust Jesus. No matter what comes into their lives they vowed to trust that Jesus would get them through. They both felt great relief and went to bed ecstatic and thankful.

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