"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Phil 4:6-7 NIV)

I enjoy puttering in the yard, so clipping the rose bushes was enjoyable. I picked up the clippings, discarded them and removed my “yard” clothes and shoes. A problem happened a few days later as I was puttering in the yard barefooted. I stepped into the rose garden to pick up a few dead clippings I had missed and I felt the sting of the thorn even as it pushed through the bottom of my foot. Limping away, I assumed it would work itself out. No such luck. By that evening the spot was very sore and red, and I could see a small black dot (thorn) imbedded in the sole of my foot.

“Time to get the needle out,” I thought.

I prodded and picked, only pushing it deeper into my foot. "Ouch! That really hurts,” I thought, as I now could bear no weight upon my heel.

Something so small… causing so much pain. The pain was personified with each step I took. I actually had to limp around the rest of the day. I tried several other remedies to rid myself of the painful thorn which had invaded my body, and, finally it worked itself out.

I have also had a thorn of anxiety in my life. Have you? Something unwanted invades your life and…boom!....the pain begins. Self help methods didn’t remove the thorn of anxiety. Reading the Bible didn’t help, either.(sorry to say) Listening to praise music, or singing praise choruses weren’t working either. Prayers of friends were appreciated, but didn’t seem to cure my pain. Meditating on a particular scripture was beneficial, but the thorn of anxiety still remained. I was limping around in my daily existence, feeling the pain of the thorn of anxiety. I knew what I had to do, and finally- once and for all- I gave my thorn of anxiety to God. I asked for His peace to fill me and to realize- once again- He was, and IS , in control.

Jesus told us: “Be anxious for nothing”. In this life we are hit with circumstances from right and left that can cause us mild-severe anxiety. No matter the size, the cause, the circumstance, the bleak outlook or the weight we feel on our shoulders, we HAVE to “give it to God” (problem) and allow Him to take care of it.

Amen? Amen.

Marion Smith