Wednesday, March 30, 2011

What do these two things have in common?

Scarlett O'Hara and Calvin Coolidge.

Go ahead, muse on that for a few minutes.  I'll wait.


I'll give you a hint:  they are each known for one of these quotes:

 A. "I can't think about that today.  I'll think about that tomorrow."

 B. "If you see ten troubles coming down the road, 
you can be sure nine of them will run into the ditch before they reach you."

C. "Tomorrow will worry about its own things."

I'm sure you all know, but A is the lovely Miss O'Hara, and B is the wise Calvin Coolidge.  C, of course, is Jesus Christ.  ;)  Matthew 6:34.    But who knew how biblical Calvin Coolidge and Scarlett O'Hara were?  Well, maybe Coolidge more so than Scarlett....

A few nights ago, as we were getting into bed, my Wonderful Hubby said to me, "So, what are we going to do about.... ?"  regarding a dilemma that we might be facing soon.  And as soon as he asked that question, I realized, I hadn't even thought about that possibility.  And immediately, my chest got tight, and my heart palpitated a little.  At one time, a question like that, right before bedtime, would have ruined my whole night's sleep.  But I gave the wondering to God, and a few minutes later, I was completely relaxed.  I didn't know the answer to the question, any more than I had ten minutes before, but I also wasn't worried about it.  "We'll figure it out when the time comes.  God has a plan." Those were my thoughts.

There was a time, not too long ago, when I would let myself be overwhelmed by all that was ahead of me, whether it was my calendar, or a decision I was going to have to make.  Gradually, I began to have a more "one day at a time" approach.  I found that I could spend all week wondering how I was going to get both kids where they needed to be on Saturday, and then when Saturday came, it would rain, Amazing Boy's baseball would be postponed, and all of a sudden, my conflict was gone.  Yet I had spent far too much time worrying about it.  Now, I try to deal with what's right in front of me.  Always knowing, of course, what time Saturday's game is, and when the library books are due, etc, but not worrying.  And when that day comes, I'll pray, make the best decision I can, pull it off, and afterwards, know that I did the best I could.

The truth of the matter is, my days are in His hands.  If I give each one to Him, I can trust that He will do something with it.  If I try to handle tomorrow, when I should be living today, then I'm not trusting Him to handle tomorrow when it comes.

I might admire Calvin Coolidge's wisdom, while I roll my eyes at Scarlett's melodrama, but again I see that there are reminders of His Word in many places, if I choose to see them.

~ "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 
and all things you need will be added unto you.  
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." ~
Matthew 6:32-34

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