Worry....

For all the times I have worried about what I will do 'tomorrow' when the nest is close to empty it is all a pointless waste of time...
So many days I have spent worrying about what I am going to do with my life when my baby boy has flown the coop.  What I am finding myself doing is not living today.  There are many things left to do with him in the house, or on the road as our summer has been full of!  We have traveled over 3,000 miles since June 15th.  This crazy life of travel baseball has had us going through seven states, playing in three tournaments in three different states, at 11 different baseball fields while eating at tooooo many fast food restaurants and staying in a variety of hotels.  If I look at today I have plenty to be busy with and thankful for.

Matthew 6:25-34New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

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]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My personal remedy to worry about impending empty nest....
1.  Wake up and thank God for the day and all that He has in store for you!
2.  Quiet time with the Lord, build that relationship daily!
3.  Enjoy every grumpy attitude, eye rolling and occasional hug that this crazy teenager gives.  Ok sometimes I don't enjoy it but I tolerate it.
4.  Take time to reflect over the past positives of raising kids, not the 'What did I do wrong?' That worry is in the past don't bring it to the future.
5.  Look for the moments that are few and far between but all that more enjoyable, the music, the laughter, the jokes that you share with the teenager in your life.  There are many when you focus on them.

Tomorrow has enough worry of its own...focus on the positive of the day that you are present in right now.  Then the worry of tomorrow that you left yesterday will be the joy of today!!!