In our free store conversation on Friday morning we talked about some of the things Jesus said in Matthew 6. It struck us as pretty radical that he basically told people, "Don't worry." We joked about how if anybody else would say that to us we would probably think they were a bit crazy. We agreed that it seems very unrealistic to tell people not to worry. But we knew that Jesus didn't say this because he had a soft cushy life with nothing to worry about.
We also talked about how he didn't just say, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Jesus actually told people not to worry about the big stuff, like eating and drinking, and having clothing and shelter, or about the future. So we talked a bit about the things that had us worried and kept us awake at night. Linda said that she often worried about being attacked in her tent at night, either by wild animals or those with "two legs." Then she shared with us how a little mouse had come to her tent last night and it made her feel good that someone cared about her. Tony said that he worried about his aging parents and his 18-year old daughter and her future. At this heads were nodding in agreement so others were also worried about their families. George said that he worried about getting his driver's license and his GED and having to go back on the street if his roomates move and he loses his room. Someone mentioned how worried the people in Japan must be today. It was sobering to realize all of the serious things that people have to worry about in our world.
At this point in our discussion we wondered how Jesus could tell people not to worry. And we discovered that his logic was fairly simple but that didn't mean it was easy to accept or put into practice. He said that we don't have to worry because we can trust in a God that cares for us as well as all of the natural world. And he also said that worry was not profitable because it doesn't add anything to our lives (not even an inch to our height which we thought was a very clever way to make the point!). If anything worry can be destructive rather than constructive. Linda shared how her mind snapped and she became severely depressed and had to be hospitalized because of anxiety at one point in her life.
Near the end of our conversation the question came up about what would be the perfect worry free day? George said that would be a day that he could mow seven lawns which the rest of us then teased him about. But George said that he felt best when he could keep busy. Someone else said it would be a day on the beach listening to the waves lap the sand with the warm sun shining down. Linda said that she hadn't been to the beach in ten years. And then Rick shared about a time he fell asleep on the beach and ended up with a blistering sunburn! But we all agreed that a day on the beach is overall a pretty good day.
Interestely, we all seemed to feel a little more relaxed and less stressed after talking about these things. We decided that although Jesus sayings can be very radical and challenging they also contain profound wisdom that can really make our lives better.
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