“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34

I am a worrier. That’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes I find that worrying about a problem or situation helps me find alternative solutions, so worrying can be constructive. But in most situations worrying just creates anxiety. I know I am being foolish: worrying about a winter storm will not reduce the snowfall and becoming anxious over medical tests will not change the results. I take my anxieties to God because I know He is in control, but even so, sometimes it’s just hard for me to let go of my fears.

I am also a runner. Last fall I signed up for my first marathon. Training for it was both exciting and worrisome; it’s much farther than I had ever run before. But when I became anxious I reflected on this passage from Matthew. The final verse is similar to a saying among distance runners: “run the mile you’re in.” In other words, stay focused on what you are doing now; don’t waste your energy worrying about the big hill at Mile 22 when you are still at Mile 4. Worrying will not make the big hill any smaller or easier to climb.

On race day, I prayed that I might run with hope and joy in my heart instead of worry. And I did! The race was an amazing experience, and even though I walked up that big hill at Mile 22, with God’s help I finished the marathon in the time range that I had hoped for.

Dear Lord, thank you for encouraging us to come to You with all our cares and worries and fears. Help us to “run the mile we’re in” and let go of our anxieties, secure in the knowledge that You love us and are always there for us. Amen.

March 21, 2017