Uncertainty and The Shield

"In God let our hearts rejoice;

He is our help and our shield."

~Magnificat, Prayer for the Evening

Ah, Worry, my old friend.  You seem to return so quickly, even after I have shown you the door.

Although our move is still three and a half months away, there are many details to arrange.  Given the approaching arrival of Baby Bear, I have been trying to tackle several details, including finding us a place to live, securing school options for our children, reserving cheap moving options, etc.  I know I will have less energy for these decisions once Baby Bear arrives.

Earlier this week, it seemed that every item I had checked off my list was reappearing.  On Monday, we went from expecting to sign a rental lease on a house to having no housing because the home suddenly had a buyer.  A few days before, I learned that the preschool I had favored for G-Bear had no options for E-Bear and was far more time-intensive than I wanted for her.  While preschools in Minnesota still have plenty of spaces open for the fall, I learned that North Carolina preschools began enrolling in February and are frequently "waiting list only" by this time of the year.  Additionally, my lead on a "reasonable" moving company option came back with a price quote that was several thousand dollars above my budget.  

Sheesh.  I felt like I was pausing to catch my breath while walking up stairs, only to discover that I was really walking up the down escalator and was now back at the bottom where I started:

You have three children.  You can't just show up in a city without a place to live.

You have a family of five.  You'll never find affordable housing that fits your budget.

Your are months behind looking at preschools.  Good luck finding open spaces now.

Moving this summer?  Have you heard how expensive gas will be for your cross-country move?

You are having a baby soon; you have missed your chance to visit your new city to look at homes and schools.  Hope shopping site-unseen is good enough for you. 

Does the uncertainty of life and planning for the future ever frustrate you,  plague you, worry you, keep you awake at night?  Where do you turn when there seems to be no way out of the approaching unknown?  

Consider how different the words below are 

from the disparaging thoughts above:

"Let all the earth fear the Lord, all who live in the world revere him.

He spoke; and it came to be. He commanded; it sprang into being.

The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.  The Lord is our help and our shield.

In him do our hearts find joy.  We trust in his holy name.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you."

~Psalm 33:8-22 (selections)

Queen B, have you forgotten that the Lord spoke and the WORLD came into being?  Do you not know, as Easter approaches, that Jesus cared enough to save your soul from death?   He surely cares enough for you to sustain your little family through a cross country move!  And the beauty of claiming the Lord as your Shield?  You gain a Hope that will not disappoint you.   No longer will you be consumed and distracted by the slings and arrows of worry.  Shielded from worry and harm, you can focus on doing the important Work that God has given you to do: love your family, care for your neighbor, carry the Light of Christ into the shadows of the world.  

There is so much Work to be done.  Claim the Lord as your Shield. Trust in His Holy Name and in His plan for your path.