"What if I don't make the team? What if I forget the motions? Worst of all, what if they make fun of me after my try-out?" These thoughts swirled tirelessly around my head as my mom drove me to my cheer tryouts in sixth grade. My head was overwhelmed with attacks, and my heart felt heavy. As I always did, I began to anxiously bite my left thumbnail as these "what-if" thoughts robbed me of my peace. You probably aren't on your way to cheer tryouts today, but maybe you resonate with the feeling of anxiousness that sixth-grade Delaney was experiencing.
Oxford language describes anxiety as "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome." Worry and nervousness are practically second nature to me, but the word "uncertain" is what catches my eye when I read that definition. The things that triggered anxiety in middle school may seem vastly different than my anxieties today, but I think that they are far more similar than I want to admit. Being anxious about making the cheer team and now being anxious wondering if I'll ever have that married-with-kids lifestyle I've always dreamed of are rooted in two things: being uncertain of the outcome and worrying that God won't show up the way I desire. Most of us have things today that are making us feel that unpleasant fear of anxiety. I hate to burden you with this heartbreak, but I did not make the cheer team. I know, I know - what a mistake they made! This disappointment directed me to try out for the volleyball team, which I so loved. I ended up playing volleyball from sixth grade until the day I graduated high school. Why do I tell you that? I tell you that because anxiety makes us escalate situations to the point where we fear tomorrow, we fear the outcomes of situations that we don't have an ounce of control over. But sometimes, there is a different outcome we can't imagine that is truly better for us!
I have spent so many of my days letting anxiety rule over my heart and mind. I struggle to enjoy each day because the worries of tomorrow whisper to the insecurities in my heart. I am sharing this devotional with you because it is what I have been wrestling with God about. A few weeks ago, my heart was so riddled with anxiety that I could barely function. I decided to go on a drive and talk to God about these anxieties and burdens that I couldn't shake. Let me tell you, you should be thankful that you weren't a passenger listening in that car ride! I was mad at God, I felt forgotten by God, and I was struggling to believe that God's plans were good. Have you ever been there? As I continued to pour out my disappointments and fears to the Lord, I came to a red light at an intersection. I looked down to change the playlist on my phone, and as I looked up, I saw the brightest shooting star I had ever seen shoot across the sky. I let the words "I almost just missed that" quietly escape. I paused, and the Lord used that moment to teach me a lesson I pray I never forget: don't miss what God is doing today because you are so worried about tomorrow.
You see, I could have very easily missed that star shooting across the sky if I didn't look up. I know I have missed a lot of shooting stars and a lot of really sweet and beautiful moments in my life because I am fixated on the fears of tomorrow. I am anxious about family, finances, friendships, sickness, image, status, and so much more. Goodness, I even find myself being anxious about how aesthetic my Instagram profile looks! I miss the beauty and purpose of today because the uncertainty of tomorrow leads me to take my eyes off of the Lord and to fixate on things that I don't have any control over.
I want you to turn to Matthew 6. Read through Matthew 6:25-34.
This is a passage that I have come back to time and time again because I so often let the worries of this world lead me to forget the goodness and caring nature of my God. Read this passage and let it remind you that God is in control, that God cares for you, and remember that you don't want to miss what God is doing today because you are so worried about tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 kindly reminds us to "not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." A way that I have learned to implement this is through God's grace and through going to counseling. God's word is full of reminders to trust Him each day and lay down our anxieties at His feet, but sometimes God can work through people such as trained professionals reminding you of those truths and cheering you on! If that is something you need help taking the next step in, I recommend reaching out to our care ministry. There is something so sweet about fellow believers spurring us on and reminding us of truth.
All of us today are called to pause and be reminded of the truth of God's Word. We need to be reminded that He IS doing something good today, but we need to take a moment to pause and see it. Friends, I pray that we all cling to Matthew 6 as the anxieties of our hearts lead us to miss what our God is doing today. He is doing beautiful things all around us - let's not miss it.
