Concern versus Worry

I thoroughly enjoy attending Crosspointe Church in Cary. The sermons are user friendly. The nugget I pulled from Sunday's sermon was about concern versus worry.  Jonathon, our head pastor, spoke of the difference between the two and moved on to the rest of the message. I wanted to know more.

I'm not going to act like these are my words or thoughts. Google is your friend. I found the text below from Ascent Advising.

Have you ever found yourself repeatedly going over a problem in your head? Have you ever found that in so doing you have done little to actually address the problem? This, I would suggest, is worry. Worry is ruminating about an issue that is plaguing us without actually making substantive progress in addressing the issue.

This is in contrast to concern. Concern, I would offer, is solution oriented. Concern focuses on solving the problem, addressing the issue. It isn’t going over the same points over and over without adding value to the thought. It is coming up with options, setting priorities, drawing conclusions.

If we find ourselves spending more than just a few moments worrying about something, hashing over a problem, then rehashing it, we are wasting our valuable time to no avail.

When considering the differences between worry and concern, consider these distinctions:

• Worry distracts us; Concern focuses us.
• Worry disables planning; Concern helps us plan.
• Worry blurs our vision; Concern clarifies our purpose.
• Worry tends to give up; Concern perseveres.
• Worry exaggerates; Concern pinpoints problems.
• Worry focuses on self; Concern cares for others.

One of the most difficult things to do is to control what we think or how we think. Yet it is one of the most important tools we can possess. Control your thoughts by ridding yourself of worry, and focusing yourself on concern.

With six weeks to go in this pregnancy, I feel like Daren and I are securely in the concern category. I know those first weeks after the 18 week anatomy scan I was consumed by worry. The worry nearly destroyed me. I think our worry shifted to concern because of some big factors - all of the chromosome testing came back negative, finding supportive forums and blogs of others struggles and successes with omphaloceles, sharing the news with friends and family, lots of appointments with the great doctors of UNC.

Last Friday I had my first non-stress test for the baby. I was told to drink something cold and eat something sugary before the test. I went for a big ol' glass of pink lemonade. This might be my new favorite kind of test. I get to sit in a recliner for twenty minutes with belts strapped to my stomach. One belt measures fetal heart rate while the other measures contractions. Bean and I passed with flying colors. My next appointment is this Friday and I get another 20 minutes of relaxation.






 

Words on a Screen

I feel like I've gotten my emotions in check concerning baby Bean and the unknown. I'm able to talk about how I'm feeling and even plan for the future. Sometimes my strong facade cracks and I know that is okay. Last Sunday during church was one of those times. I think we sang two or three songs before some words appeared on the screen. This was one of the many times I'm thankful my husband carries a hankie. I've italicized the words which brought out the waterworks.

In a thousand ways our minds are trying to flee this moment.
Unresolved conflict with loved one.
Deadlines and demands.
Hopes and dreams that seem to have outpaced us.
For many of us it takes only a key word to launch our minds into every moment but this one.

We're sitting here. And yet we are somewhere else.



Pause a moment.


Breathe deeply.


Believe, if for just a moment that our worrying, our preoccupations, our distractions and anxieties are not a solution. They offer little if any benefit.
They're simply noise.


Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow will be there with or without us.


Right now, let us embrace God in our midst. The God who invites us to be here, with him and each other, alive in grace and peace.


Welcome to this moment.  


I asked Daren to contact the church to get the text shown on the screens. I love what came after the portion I italicized. I was a bit consumed on that Sunday to see the final portion.  It is hard to explain how deeply this affected me. I know I will worry...that is what moms do. I also need to realize I am a child of God and we will get through this.

Text written by Pastor Steve Daugherty, Crosspointe Community Church - Cary, NC