Do Not Worry - You've Got This
Do Not Worry – You’ve Got This
This morning (Sunday, March 22) I was walking my dog around my apartment complex. I was just having a sad day. I was missing being with friends and seeing people and missing my regular routine. In an attempt to make myself laugh, I started humming the song “On My Own” from Les Misérables. But then that made me sad too.
And I kept walking. Allowing myself to be sad because that was what I was feeling in the moment. I realize that I have many things to be grateful for, but there are also things I’m grieving and missing.
Once I returned to my apartment, I sat out on the balcony, soaking up some much-needed sunshine. Now, compared to Paul Wallace, I am no bird expert. I couldn’t tell you the names of many of the birds I see on a daily basis. But I do enjoy bird watching. My mother and grandmother both love birds and have feeders in their yards. Living in an apartment complex makes it harder for me to have feeders around, but there are lovely trees near my balcony and I enjoy sitting and watching the birds flit and flutter by.
A cardinal flies by and catches my eye. He sits in the tree, chirping away, keeping an eye out for any tasty bugs and scary predators. Then a brown bird joins the tree. Nothing special to look at compared to the cardinal. She blends in well with the tree- camouflaged in its bare branches. The cardinal flies off, and I sigh. The glimpse of beauty is gone.
But then.
Then that little brown bird opens her beak and begins to sing. It was beautiful. And holy. And sounded like worship to my ears.
And I cried.
“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” – Matthew 6:26 (The Message)
The past two weeks have been hard; exhausting; sad; freeing; lonely; introspective; (fill in your own blank here).
I imagine that many of us have felt all kinds of emotions and asked all kinds of questions. “Can I do this?” “How much longer will this last?” “What will life look like when this is over?” “How do teachers do it?” “What if I get sick?” “Do I really have to stay 6 feet away from people?” (The answer to this is “Yes. Yes you do.”)
Many questions that still don’t have answers.
And yet, when we read this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, God tells us “Do not worry. I’ve got you.”
So friends, may you be reminded that God is with you. Always. May you try to find time to notice things you may not have seen before. On the next sunny day, if you are able, sit outside or by a window for a few moments and notice the birds, and the flowers, and the budding trees and blooming flowers.
And do not be afraid.
Kristen Koger is the Pastor for Children and Families at First Baptist Church of Decatur.