OBOI... YOU TOO WORRY!

Have you ever caught yourself saying that? Or have you ever been told? Maybe not and maybe you’ve heard and maybe you’ve both heard and told yourself. One of the greatest steps to positive change is first of all admitting there’s something wrong with the status quo and that things ought not to be the way they are, and then being open to that change. Until we find something wrong with the way things are, we’d probably be stuck right where we are, without ever moving forward. If you’re not a worrier, then the rest of us can learn a lot from you. But if you are, then this write up is for you, maybe it will encourage and correct you as much as it has me.

A few days ago I heard myself say I worry too much and I’ve been told a couple of times. I can recall several months ago when I said I thrived on worry. But talking about change and being open to it made me realize all I was doing was killing myself over nothing. That is exactly what worry does… it kills you.

Everyone passes through trying times that’s one thing I could say is common to every human being, but how each individual deals with his share of life’s troubles differentiates him from the rest. He could choose to breathe, or worry.

A dictionary definition of worry is given as: be or make anxious i.e. to feel anxious about something unpleasant that may have happened or may happen. More complicated and troubling than this definition is the simple fact that worry seems to give humans the feeling that someone is thinking about their problems (and that someone is them). Many worriers have been heard to say “Someone has to worry about these things”.

Like I said earlier, everyone passes through trying times. I’ve seen many, passed through some (still passing through others), heard of many more, read about some and yet I cannot begin to exhaust the number of trying and difficult times people pass through. As a matter of fact, the number seems to increase by the minute. Someone somewhere is passing through a seemingly hopeless situation. The sad part is that in most of these situations and circumstances, we find that our hands are tied, like life is cheating us, like things might never get better, like everything is grinding to a halt and we can do absolutely nothing about it. That’s where the worry begins. I’ve seen firsthand that no one worries over a problem he can take care of instantly. For instance, I cannot worry about eating when I have food in my pot, but worry comes uninvited when I don’t know where the next meal is coming from. We worry over problems we are facing, problems we are going to face or even problems we don’t want to face. Some have gotten to a stage of worrying where they place their troubles in God’s capable hands and still go back and worry about them.

It would take more than just a blog to list out all of our problems and the things we worry about because they are so many. Believe me; I sympathize with you over them. I’m not trying to make light the problems and challenges we face (if they were light, we wouldn’t be worrying, would we?) but I want to encourage you not to worry.

Worrying aside from the fact that it doesn’t get any work done, also doubles your troubles. It drains life and happiness out of you, drains the peace you once had, and drains the hope you cling to, and the silver lining God has placed in every situation. It makes the vision of a beautiful and happy ending seem impossible to realize, and tragically magnifies the problem and reduces God. But God in His infinite mercy has times without number, helped us even when we do not ask. He has solved our problems even when worry was what we chose to do. Fortunately still, he has had mercy on the many who ask and still go back and worry. Before I draw the curtains close, I’d like to write out the lyrics of a song I once heard. Call it old skool, but the song made sense.

Don't Worry, Be Happy
From the Movie "Cocktails"
Performed by Bobby McFerrin

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Look at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy

The situations the songwriter could capture may be nothing compared to what you face, and he didn’t give a sure way out, but the message is still clear – don’t worry. But here’s the sure way out. There’s a capable hand that motions you to come every second of the day, place your problems and thoughts there, leave them there, and just breathe. He’s able… God is able.

So when you see yourself worrying, or you see someone doing so (that includes me), don’t say “oboi... you too worry!” instead say “oboi… don’t worry!”