Dec 8.98: Light For The Day - "The Peace-Of-Mind Game"

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need."
-- Psalm 23:1 (TEV)

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In her down-to-earth book More Than Sparrows,
Mary Welch tells of her discussion with a group of
high schoolers about worry. Although they were
Christians, they were as worried as pagans about
the common things of life.

As she listened to them with love, yearning to help
them, an unusual idea came to her for a game they
could play. It went like this:

Instead of saying, "I am worried," stop and say,
"The Lord is my Shepherd." Then add, "So I'm
worried to death!" The students laughed at the idea,
but they all promised to play this new "peace-of-mind"
game.

Later Mary received a phone call from a young
woman who had been paralyzed by worry over an
exam she had been dreading to take. she said, 
"I must tell you how the game helped me trust God
today. As I froze with worry, I remembered to say,
"The Lord is my Shepherd... so I'm afraid I'll fail!" 
Suddenly I felt the strangest peace of mind. I laughed
at myself, then I took the exam and passed!"

Saying in one breath, "The Lord is my Shepherd and I
am worried to death" is more than a mind game to point
out the absurdity of worry. God can use it to bring us
to a fuller trust in Him.

-- Joanie E. Yoder

Into His hands I lay the fears that haunt me,
The dread of future ills that may befall;
Into His hands I lay the doubts that taunt me,
And rest securely, trusting Him for all.

- Christiansen

Worry is the interest you pay on borrowed trouble.

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"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for
his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with 
me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

-- Psalm 23:1-4 (RSV)