Do Not Worry
Do Not Worry
[Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Rachel Myers. I so appreciated how candid she was in telling her story. I loved the style of this post and could relate to it so much — sometimes that worry just takes over! Thank you so much for helping spur other women forward, Rachel!]
Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version (NIV)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
A Touch About Me….
My name is Rachel Myers and I am a 37-year-old mom of 2 kiddos (8 and 6). I married my guy from Drexel U., received a BA in Finance (comical if you knew how much I don’t know nor care about all things finance), worked at GlaxoSmithKline Pharma in Supply Chain Logistics, and received my MBA in Marketing and Organizational Management.
Once it was time for the kiddos, I was very lucky to stay home, but struggled just like every other mom out there (tried to look like it was easy, but it wasn’t). As my ‘nuggets’ approached school age, I started to think about what career I could have to offer work life balance. I jumped at the opportunity to be a Preschool Teacher’s Aide at my church and fell in love with teaching the kiddos in a Christian setting. Back to school I went to get my Masters in Education (PreK-4). I am currently a Preschool Teacher at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church and super close to having that Masters in Ed!
The #1 Word in My Life…
Worry!!! If I had to pick an underlying theme to my lovely life on paper, it would be WORRY! I can remember vividly as my 1st grade teacher was checking my paper and my little hands were fidgeting with anxiety, she looked at me and said, “Rachel, you are such a worry wort!” At such a young age, she had me pegged. Worry has been with me my entire life!
I worry that I am not good enough, smart enough, hardworking enough, pretty enough (shouldn’t I be over that by 37?), and accomplished enough. I worry that I am not the best mom, wife, daughter nor friend. I worry about my mom with Alzheimer’s. I worry about my Dad having to live and care for my mom with Alzheimer’s. I worry about my son and daughter. I worry that I am not a good enough teacher. I worry about my husband’s career. I worry that I do not eat well enough or exercise enough or generally worry about the health of myself and everyone around me. I worry that I don’t want people to see that I worry. I worry that it is such a sin for me to worry as I have been blessed with so much.
Most of all, I worry about the fact that I worry too much! To be honest, it is absolutely exhausting!
I have had a few extremely challenging years with the diagnosis of my Mom’s Alzheimer’s. The physical and mental toll that it has taken on me has caught me off guard. In addition, my son was recently diagnosed with ADHD, which digs an even deeper hole in my heart. I look left and right to see so many horrific illnesses and tragedies and get that my issues are merely grains of sand compared to others, but worry still follows me.
Turning to God…
The Lutheran Church has always been a major part in my life. Although I think I never learned how to turn to God in times of need. I viewed church more as a place of celebration and fun as that is what it was for me during childhood. I still get so much love and joy attending church every week and truly feel closest to God when I am teaching the kiddos during Sunday School.
Yet, I feel during this difficult time in my life I truly, truly want to learn how to ‘let go’ of the worry. I am working to take comfort in Matthew 6:25,
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life.”
I write this in hopes that I can start my journey on really putting my trust in God. I know that he did not put me on earth to worry, and I know that he put me here to share his Love and Grace through the voice of children. By focusing on this, I hope to push that ‘W’ word away and take more time to cherish each moment and not worry about what lies ahead.
My name is Rachel Myers and I am a mom of 2 kiddos (6 & 8). I married my college sweetheart. After working in Corporate America, I stayed home to raise my nuggets. As my youngest entered Kinder, I found my true calling in sharing God’s Love through the voice of children. I am currently a PreSchool Teacher at my church, Sunday School Teacher, Christian Ed.Member and almost finished with my Masters in Education. As I continue on my journey in life, I feel called to spread the love and joy of Jesus and connect with others on the same mission. Follow Rachel at her blog, www.letslearnandgrow.com
