22 Comments

"Worry is a thief." I can't tell you how much this resonated with me. I feel like I am on a mission to crush worry among my family friends and strangers. I seek every opportunity to reduce worry wherever I find it or think it may exist. Thank you especially for this.

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A worthy mission!

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I love this, Shannon. I would add that a good question to ask is, "What can I do in order to enjoy this more?" or "Do I need to change something in order to enjoy this more?"

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Yes! I should write a follow-up to this and try to wrestle with those questions.

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I would love to read that, Shannon! I think moms often feel that the problem is with them interiorly -- "I should be able to enjoy this!" -- rather than considering that maybe there is something they need to do differently or change in order to be able to be more positive. Willing yourself into enjoyment only goes so far -- you need to set yourself up for it practically, too.

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I agree that it’s definitely a two-pronged issue. But I believe that our attitudes and our dispositions can be cheerful despite our circumstances because we trust God’s promises that all things will work together for our good. So yes— practical enjoyment is important, but our cheerful attitudes can be a choice in any situation.

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Mar 11·edited Mar 11Liked by Shannon Hood

Yes, I agree! We do need to make an active interior effort regarding our disposition, as our interior perspective colors that which comes into us from the outside.

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YES. Those are good, good questions.

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Sep 18Liked by Shannon Hood

I just love the phrase "a mother was born." Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom—I find them so pertinent to where I'm at in life now. I think I'm a worrier by nature, and this is such an important reminder to just find peace with where one is in the moment. "...he said that it was an amazing ride, but that there were parts of it that he missed because he was so worried."—I don't want to miss any more of the amazing ride that life is!

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Thank you. And yes— I need this reminder every day, too!

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I can totally relate. Worry steals so many moments of all my days. My kids are recently out of the house so I look back and sometimes think too much of what I did wrong or the missed moments. "This is the day the Lord has made" was the verse on our wedding invitation! May we not miss the daily moments because of worry.

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I love that verse! And yes. This is a reminder I need…every single day.

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What a blessing it was to happen across this post. It’s something I’ve been working on (worry is so hard to let go sometimes) and I feel empowered to free myself a bit more after reading. Thank you so much for the peace 🕊️

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I should probably read it myself regularly. I forget it all too often!

Rejoicing with you that it helped you find peace ❤️

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Mar 28Liked by Shannon Hood

Thank you for this!

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You are so very welcome. Thank you for the kind words.

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As someone who just became a mother 6 months ago this is such a needed exhortation. I already find myself so worked up about the smallest of inconveniences! Thank you for the reminder that the Lord intends for us to rejoice in his good gifts.

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“Rejoice in his good gifts;” that is such a perfect way to capture the truth. Enjoy that sweet 6-month-old!

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This was one of the biggest struggles and challenges I faced when our nest became empty.

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Thank you for sharing! I find myself thinking about this all the time. My youngest is 16 and my oldest almost 24. I have let worry take over so often and I always say I need to just enjoy life.

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Yes! I think you’re right— it’s something we truly need to keep reminding ourselves of, every single day.

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Wow, this was a zinger, Shannon. "Worry is a thief." Even in my early 70s, I still let worry rob me sometimes, but not nearly as much as I used to. I'm going to share this widely...it is such a powerful reminder.

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