Wound Tight

       There are warriors, and there are worriers. I want to be known as a warrior. As women, we care deeply and love fiercely. God created both man and woman intricately forming them with their own strengths. I mean, let’s face it, women aren’t wimps! We endure physical and emotional feats daily, and just keep rockin' it! Our maker has placed a fire within us, but unfortunately we sometimes use that flame to fuel our worry. If we aren’t careful we can go from warrior to worrier in a minute flat leaving us “wound tight."

Toddler-attacked toilet paper

       When a woman is wound tight, it overflows until pretty soon everyone around her knows it. At least when this woman is wound tight. My kids know it, my husband, bless his heart, definitely knows it, and sometimes even the poor neighbors know it. It’s not pretty! But how do we get that way? How do we get so wound up that we don’t even recognize ourselves? God made us warriors, but we run around being worriers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about concern. Concern is necessary. Concern is an awareness that spurs on action, and brings about change. Worry is not. Worry is an emotional REaction that produces no positive outcome. There’s a difference. 

       There are numerous things that cause us to cave into worry. We worry if we will ever find a mate. Once we find a mate, we worry we will never reach our “ever after” status. Will we ever get promoted in our careers? Will we ever have children? If we have children, will something happen to them? Finances? Retirement? The list could go on FOREVER! I can work myself up over a “what if” scenario, and be crying tears of worry in minutes! Over a made up occurrence! (You know you’ve done it too, so don’t judge.) Let’s just stop right there.

       The antidote to worry is trust. If you find yourself wound tight, and don’t know how to unwind, begin to trust. It’s simple, but it’s not easy. I'm not saying that action has no part to play. It does. Though sometimes we need to take action in an area, it's trust that will resolve our inward reaction to any situation or circumstance. Ultimately, we need to place our trust in God. We need to trust Him with our future, with our relationships, our finances, with our children, and with their futures. He knows the desires of our hearts, and wants His best for our lives and the lives of those we love. 

       We were made to do great things, but worrying wasn’t one of them. I still occasionally get wound tight, but I choose to wake up every morning a warrior. I know who I am, and though I may not know every detail of my future, I know who does. When you feel like worry is trying to grab hold, defeat it with trust. Live your life with confidence because you know He holds your future as well. You are fierce, you are strong, and you are a warrior. Don’t let anyone or anything tell you differently.

Until next time, Beautiful.