CiCi's Space

Have you ever been anxious about something and by the end of the day realized that the situation that was causing the anxiety had worked itself out? My daughter texted me that she thought she might have a flat tire. Immediately, my mind started swirling….”What if she gets stuck on the highway? It’s still dark outside…….” Of course I prayed for her to make it safely to work. She made it but did, in fact, have a flat tire by the end of the day. When I went to pick her up we started thinking of how to get the car to the auto shop. My husband wasn’t at home and there wasn’t anyone else around to assist in any way. Both of us were considering the options. Since we were on a military base, we thought there must be a service available for emergencies. I drove to the auto port and we could get help but it would take a while. My daughter ended up calling for a tow truck to get her car repaired. Since it would be a while before it arrived, we zipped back home for a bit. In short, before the day ended, she purchased new tires and all was well again. How much energy we can expend on situations out of our control! How often have I read “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). In truth, I’ve often wrestled with the “thanksgiving’ part of that scripture. Be thankful for a flat tire? Be thankful that there wasn’t anyone around to assist us when we needed help? Of course not. I am thankful, however, that she made it to work safely. Im thankful that the tire was flat while her car was parked on the base in a secure area. Im thankful that I was at home at the time to help my daughter when she needed it. Once again I am reminded that I will have peace of mind when I pray to God first –this is what keeps anxiety at bay!