Anxious for nothing?! Yeah, right!

My parents came to visit us the other week, so Ruth and I thought we’d take them to St Fagans. Despite being bitterly cold we had a great time. One of the buildings that we looked at was the old pottery and kiln. If you wanted to there was the opportunity there to make your own clay pot on a wheel. None of us were daft enough to remove our hands from the warm protection that our gloves provided, but a young boy, there with his family, was :o)
As we watched he transformed this shapeless lump of red clay into a slightly smoother lump of clay. In the boys hands this lump changed shape a few more times, none of which were particularly recognisable, until it finally became something that you could describe as a pot.

This came to mind as I continued reading Paul’s letter the Philippians.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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 4:4-7

Can Paul be serious when he says ‘do not be anxious’ for anything?
Surely we can’t help ourselves from worrying. It’s just natural.
Worry seems to come in faster than you can stop it. But here Paul is telling us how we can use our fretting as a fuel for fusion living: “Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” v6 (Message)

Our worries can be shaped into prayers that command God’s authority and His peace!
I agree with Paul, that it’s beyond my understanding, but I trust God in the way that it defends me.
In my own small way I can say this works.

A few years ago now I was driving along the M25 just having picked put my parents from the airport. I was in the middle lane of a motorway packed with vehicles but despite this it was reasonably fast moving. Unbeknown to me the articulated lorry that was just behind me on the inside lane had begun to indicate that it intended to join my lane. The trouble was I was in its path and being as it was a European lorry the driver was on the left and was unable to even see my car. As it moved into my lane the lorry clipped the rear end of my Ford Orion spinning me round so that it crushed the bonnet of my car before spinning me round once more, crushing my boot and catapulting me off onto the hard shoulder. It was over in a second and the lorry driver didn’t feel a thing.
Now as I approach a lorry which I am about to pass on the motorway I find these anxious thoughts returning. However, I immediately allow thoughts of thanksgiving for God’s protection to shape these worries into prayer and praise.
What happens is that I begin to know His peace!

Our worries should not stay as worries, they can be sculpted into prayers; a declaration of trust in God’s protection, provision or guidance.