How to stop borrowing tomorrow’s problems and find peace in God’s grace for today.
Learning to wait without worry can feel almost impossible when you live with chronic illness. Symptoms change, appointments come and go, and uncertainty often becomes part of everyday life. It’s easy to spend today’s energy worrying about tomorrow’s problems. But there is a difference between waiting and worrying, and understanding that difference can help you find greater peace, trust, and stability during difficult seasons.
In just about 2 weeks, Rob and I head off to Prince Edward Island to see our son, his wife and our two Island grandbabies. They are no longer babies of course, but this will be a VERY different visit from the last one. They are now 4 (almost 5) and 6, and as children that age go…. they are VERY active.
These “littles” seem to have the energy of very active teenagers, except unlike teenagers, they tend to get up at the crack of dawn… often before 6. And to make things more busy, we booked a camp trip with my son’s family. Now, what has me concerned is that these teeny tiny kids are AVID hikers. They tend to go on long hikes and spend most days outdoors, with only afternoons for resting.
We will be entirely active until the kids go to bed. At that time, I’d love to squeeze out enough energy for some adult conversations that require braining. (And yes, that’s a word because I said it! lol.)
This year, I made huge adjustments to my physical activity and am now up to a 20 minute walk. That’s not going to stack well for hiking, now, is it? LOL.
In some ways, I think this trip will be easier than the last one. My health is better, my walking is better, and I’ve learned a lot about managing my energy over the last few years. But if I’m honest, there are still plenty of opportunities to worry. Will I have enough energy? Will the travel go smoothly? Will I be able to keep up with two busy little people? Will camping for a week be harder than I remember?
The interesting thing is that none of those things are happening today. When you live with chronic illness, uncertainty can become part of everyday life and learning to wait without worry is something I’m still practicing myself. I suspect many of us do this with our health as well.
Today, I’m sitting in my own home. Today, I can do my walk. Today, I can make good decisions about my health. Today, I can prepare. But none of the things I’m worried about have actually happened yet.
And that got me thinking about how often we do this in healing. We wait for test results. We wait for appointments. We wait to see if a therapy is working. We wait to see how our body responds to a busy week, a family gathering, or a vacation.
But sometimes, without even realizing it, waiting slowly turns into worrying. Instead of living in today, we start living in next week. We start spending energy on situations that don’t yet exist. And before long, we are carrying things that belong to tomorrow.
When symptoms can change unexpectedly, it feels responsible to think ahead. And to a certain extent, it is. But there is a difference between preparing and worrying. Preparing helps us make wise decisions while worrying asks us to live through the same problem over and over before it has even happened.
The problem is that worry rarely prepares us for tomorrow. Usually it just steals today’s peace. One of the most helpful questions I ask myself is this: “What is actually wrong today?”
Pause and answer it honestly.
Today may have challenges, but it may also be okay. God never asks us to carry tomorrow. He asks us to walk with Him today.
If this idea resonates with you, I think you’ll enjoy my free guide, God Designed Your Brain to Heal. It explores why worry can feel so automatic, why healing sometimes feels harder during stressful seasons, and how simple daily practices can help support healing.
Download God Designed Your Brain to Heal.
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that creating peace often involves both spiritual and practical support. Recently, I’ve been taking CALM as part of my evening routine. Rob takes it in the morning, which always makes me smile because we’re both using the same product a little differently.
It’s become one of the tools I keep in my wellness toolbox, so I thought I’d share it here as well.