The last couple of days have been those kind of days when absolutely nothing goes right and it would be so easy to be anxious and worried to death but past history with God tells me so much to do otherwise!

When I was in the 3rd grade my Dad had a major back surgery in Nashville and it was back in the day when a lot was not known about back injuries. His pain was so great after the surgery that he had to be turned with the bed sheets.

We lived on a farm and the day that he was brought home from the hospital he arrived to our house in an ambulance. They rolled him in and placed him in bed and he was to stay there flat of his back for 6 months.

I, being a 3rd grader, took all of this scene straight into my little soul and retained it all inside. Every morning as I caught the school bus from the farm to my school I would get sick to my stomach and by the time I got off that bus I would be crying hysterically. My teacher would then call my contact person which was my grandma that could drive and she would come to the school and drive me back home to the farm. This same scenario played over and over for weeks and no one could figure out what was happening to me. I had gotten so bad that our family doctor was about to start testing me for ulcers in my stomach.

The day arrived that my Dad could get out of bed and drive and the first place that he went was to my school. He went directly to my teacher there and begin asking her if there was some reason that I did not want to be at school. He asked if I had problems with other children or what was going on. The teacher replied that nothing that she knew of was wrong and that I got along well with everyone.

After much discussion between my parents they came to the conclusion that I was getting sick each morning because I was so worried about my Dad that I did not want to leave him and wanted to be home to be a nurse maid to him. What actually tipped them off was the fact that I would be fine once I got back home.

That is the day that my other grandmother came to live with us for a while. She was the one that was such a good cook. She would get up early and cook a wonderful, wholesome breakfast and said to me…..Little Lady, you sit down there and eat your breakfast! I would start the whining of stomach ache and such but she was having no part of it and I was more afraid of her than I was that stomach ache so I sat down and ate all my breakfast and drank my juice and the anxious, frightened little 3rd grader became vibrant and whole again and laughed and played just like a normal child. My grandmother was a very strong willed lady and she just willed me to hand the reins of taking care of my Dad over to her and I willingly did it.

I learned a lot about myself that year. I am off the chart in metabolism and still am until this day. I have more energy than 3 or 4 people put together and have always been that way. I cannot eat something really sweet first thing in the morning or skip any meals because I will get the shakes. I also used to be really shy and timid and didn’t talk a lot (imagine that). When I played basketball in elementary school I would get so sick to my stomach on the way to the gym that I would have to ride with my head partially out of the back car window to keep from throwing up.

I know a lot of people have real anxiety today and I have had enough of it to know how scary it can be. Thankfully I was never put on any medication for it but by the aid of my grandmother I learned how to keep it under control. The other main thing I learned was from my other grandmother that would always say…..Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair….it gives you something to do but it will take you no where….

And most of all as I matured I learned more and more to lean on God and place all of my cares and worries with Him. He is up 24/7 and is already working things out for our good if we will just get out of the way and let Him. That is the most important thing that a person can do.

So, if you grew up hyper, high metabolism, shy, timid, and a worry wart like I did then I hope this article has helped you. God is bigger than all of our problems and worries!

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.