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? 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? Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.– Matthew 6:25-34

If you’ve read any of my last posts, you’ll know that I love to sit and watch my chickens. One thing I admire about them is that they don’t gather food for tomorrow. They spend the day roaming around looking for fresh bugs or eating just enough food from their feeder to fill their bellies for that day.
Chickens also adapt well to change. We acquired several of our chickens from owners that no longer wanted them and within a week, they knew where to find their food and water, and where to roost at sunset. They don’t worry about if they’ve moved to the right place or if their new owner will take care of them. They just roll with what’s been given to them, trusting they’ll find food and a roost again when they need it.

Unlike our birds, I’ll often stress myself out by trying to do too much in one day. Sometimes I’ll see if I can get tomorrow checklist done in addition to today’s and in doing so, I end up frustrated, cranky, and too tired to get anything done the next day. Often times I’ll question my choices like: “Did we move to the right place?” “Should we have just have stayed where we were?” “Did we choose the right…fill in the blank?” In a culture where there are literally hundreds of choices for everything, it’s easy to second-guess ourselves and forget there is a loving, sovereign God that is in control over all with a gentle voice that seems to whisper…

“Do not entertain confusion. It’s not your job to figure out where you should be. I place people in the times and places I want them so that they will seek me – though I am not far. (Acts 17) Stop trying to figure everything out. I put you where you are on purpose – with discontent parts – so that you will seek me. You are prone to forget me when things are good. I want to be your first love. (Rev. 2) I am jealous for you. Yes, your circumstances have challenges. Yes, your home is pulling at your time and resources. But I’ve put you in an environment that would often bring you to prayer. The goal isn’t to passively give up and be discontent – the goal is to fight through it and gain strength – to seek me in those discontent parts so I can show up and do more than you could ask, think, dream, or imagine. (Eph. 3) (2 Cor. 12) What you imagine in even your best dreams is far less significant than my dreams for you. Rest from trying to figure out if you’re in the right place, and just enjoy it. I put discontentment in you not to move you OUT of those circumstances but to move you IN them. (Rom. 8) Don’t hide your desires and true feelings from me. (Ps. 37) Talk about them and end in gratitude for what you already have. (Phil. 4) Be like the birds and trust that I am leading you and guiding you and will give you all you need for today.”