Calm My Anxious Heart

Imagine what your life would be like without worry.

Is this even a realistic possibility?

Linda Dillow, in Calm My Anxious Heart, says it is. You can start the journey today.

What are your worries? These days, I tend to worry about my children: Will they be able to be faithful? Will they have their dreams fulfilled? What if this health issue is never resolved? Or if it is, what if something worse happens? Will God take care of them in spite of life’s uncertainties? I worry if my husband will have enough/too much work, myself or family members get sick, maybe I won’t be able to do what’s expected of me, there’s a breakdown in the government. I didn’t can much food this summer and what if we need it? Or I may say something embarrassing. And am I actually putting on more weight?

I know ‘worry is like a rocking chair; it will give me something to do, but it won’t get me anywhere.’ I don’t believe worrying actually prevents what I worry about. I say that anyway. What do my thoughts and actions say?

This book can be read as a twelve-week study of calmness and peace Jesus holds out to us. It was especially relevant at this time for me, and maybe you can relate. With scripture and story, Linda took me on a journey of learning about God, myself and what it means to trust Him. He is the Blessed Controller of everything! The book includes questions for reflection and journaling, and suggestions for memorizing scripture. Below are some other thoughts that impressed me while reading this book.

How to be Content:

Never allow yourself to complain about anything, not even the weather.
Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
Never compare your lot with another’s.
Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
Never dwell on tomorrow–remember it is God’s.
by Ella Spees who was a missionary in Africa for 52 years.

Are you going to judge God by the circumstances you don’t understand or judge the circumstances by the character of God? -Linda Dillow (God’s character is sovereign, wise and full of love)

I know you’ve heard the first part of the Serenity Prayer; here it is complete:

God, grant me the serenity to accept that which I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference, living one day at a time, accepting hardships as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonable happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. — Reinhold Niebuhr

In time of trouble, say, “First, he brought me here. It is by his will that I am in this strait place; in that I will rest.” Next, “He will keep me here in his love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as his child.” Then say, “He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons he intends me to learn, and working in me the grace he means to bestow.” And last say, “In his good time he can bring me out again. How and when, he knows.” Therefore, say, “I am here (1) by God’s appointment, (2) in his keeping, (3) under his training, (4) for his time.” –Counsel from Andrew Murray, South African Christian pastor.

The Lord is my peace. I shall not live in anxiety. He puts me under His wing of comfort and calms my spirit within me. He takes all my anxieties on Himself and helps me to focus on Him. Yes, though I walk through a time of grave uncertainties and fierce anxieties, I will not fret – for you are my peace. Your Word and Your presence calm me now. You hold my uncertainties in the palm of Your hand. You soothe my anxious mind. You smooth my wrinkled brow. Surely serenity and trust in You shall fill me all the days of my life. And I shall keep my mind stayed on you forever. –paraphrase of Psalm 23 written by Judy Booth

And these verses: Philippians 4:6-8, Hebrews 13:5, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Habakkuk 3:17-19

I haven’t arrived at a worry free state. I an not even for sure that is His goal for me. I wonder if rather He is teaching me to use the worry as a signal that I need to turn my mind to Him. He then keeps me in perfect peace. If worries trouble you, give this book a read. I pray you find peace in Him.

–Liz