Don't Worry, Be Happy!

 

Picture by Caprice Miller and Rodgers Miller

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” – Matthew 6:25-27

What a fun site to see at the breakfast table.   The story goes that Caprice’s husband, Rodgers, created this little face and realized just how picture worthy it was before consuming it.  Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  It just helps to start the day off right with nourishment to help you accomplish those tasks at hand.  It’s also very helpful to begin the day on a positive note too, so why not an oatmeal happy face?   A full tummy and a happy heart – that sounds like a recipe for a great start to a beautiful day.  It sounds simple enough, but is it really? 

As an admitted emotional eater, I know that when I encounter stressful moments during the day, I start reaching for something to eat.  In addition, these stressful times can be viewed as overwhelming and all consuming.  After a while of reaching for the wrong things and allowing stress to become consuming I noticed a few things.  The wardrobe began to shrink, the body became sluggish and the issues of life began to overtake me.     Once a person begins down this road of stress controlled living, it is virtually impossible to find an exit until you hit the proverbial wall.  How can we avoid that though?

It’s important to remember that the enemy’s goal is to make sure that our eyes are always taken off of God – the source of all of our needs.  And one of Satan's favorite tools of choice is creating chaos and doubt in our lives.  When we are caught up in this scenario of chaos and doubt it creates worry and stress that clearly don’t belong in our life.  It doesn’t take long to realize that our eyes are indeed taken off of the very one who can give us peace in the midst of these life circumstances.  But there is good news.  Realizing that your eyes have been diverted is half the battle.  God is always there and waiting for you to turn your attention to Him again.  Now that you know the enemy’s game, you have the opportunity to fight back.   Call on the One who brings peace and order to the chaos, doubt and stress in life.

It is truly amazing the love that God has for us.   Jesus reminds us of this when He calls attention to the birds and how God takes care of them.  We are so much more valuable to Him than these.  It is so easy for our focus to be drawn away from this truth and believe we are all on our own.   But the reality is that God is concerned about every detail of our life.  When we read the words He has for us, we are reminded of that.  Psalm 139:1-18 is a great example of how much He cares.  (Go ahead, read it.)  When we lift our eyes from the chaos and stress around us we recognize the blessings we’ve been given.   Psalm 46:10 tells us to “Be still and know that I am God…”  It’s in these still moments we can hear His whisper in our hearts and see things differently.  Don’t let the chaos and stresses of life drown out the very source of peace for you.  And a great way to begin may just be with a “happy face bowl of oatmeal” while reading what God has to say to your heart from His Word.  It’s nourishment for the body and soul so you will have the tools you need to gain perspective and overcome whatever may come your way.