I Often Forget He's In Control!

I caught this picture of my daughter in very deep thought (I wondered what she was thinking about) and I think it apt for this post.

This is in response to an initiative of @ericvancewalton, to make us walk down memory lane and relive those moments long gone, keeping them alive for our future generations.

You can participate here

In a year from now you’ll have a legitimate memoir that you can pass along to future generations of your family. But what I really hope is it provides a valuable glimpse into your inner self.

This week’s Memoir Monday question:

What do you worry about?

I don't know if it's human nature generally or just my own nature, to worry about virtually everything. After a while, these worries start piling up to a point that I start worrying about worrying.

On top of the list of my many worries, is money or rather the lack of it and it remains one of the major area of concern for me. I worry that I would not have enough to get a good life, the thought of not being able to adequately cater to my children's needs as a single parent, the thought of not being able to settle some of our very basic ones like food, education, health, accommodation etc , consumes me like wildfire.

Then I worry about my health, because our diet over here is high in saturated fats and carbohydrates, and the consequences is an increase in weight related illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. And though I have adopted some healthy measures by making better choices, one thing or the other gets in the way of this and I feel I'm not doing enough.

I worry about the past. Several times I have looked back and wished I had done things differently, if only I had chosen my own career path, if only I hadn't loved and married the wrong man, you know, just regrets. But no matter how much I wish, I do not have the past anymore, only the present and the future to contend with. So shouldn't I rather dwell on those?

When I discovered that it was the wrong way to archive my life, I started focusing on the positives, all the little achievements and how they came about. My son, now an industrial chemist, has earned a degree from the university and my daughter has less than two years to graduate but I worried myself so sick when the sole responsibility of catering for two kids aged five and seven, was unceremoniously thrust upon me. Sixteen years later, I celebrate that somehow I have managed to come this far.

There are things I have no control over, like the past, the weather, life, death, health etc but I can control my attitudes by focusing on the moment than dwelling on future uncertainties. And then again somehow, things I feared in the past got sorted out and have become my triumphs today. So how's that? Is it not a wonder? What did I really gain from those anxieties?

I have a mantra which comes from my faith in The Almighty God and that can be found in '1 Peter 5:7 (NIV): "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Reflecting on this and many others and spending time in prayer whenever I feel overwhelmed, has made my life calmer, given me so much peace and strength.

God is in control, I mustn't forget that.

Life is too short to worry so much about things, thereby robbing us of the joys and happiness of the moment.

Problems are a part of living and would ever remain so but we must seek for strength to Carry us through each one per time.

In my prayer closet, I find peace.

Thank you @ericvancewalton for this initiative 😊, we are in week nine already and penning down my memoirs have given me an outlet for candid expression.

I am @edith-angelseu and thank you for stopping by my neighbourhood.