The Worrywart

If you have a "worrywart" in your life, you know full well what it feels like to be psychologically strangled!  Worrywarts are the people who call you before you get home to make sure you're on your way.  They grill you about what happened when you do get home.  They want to know everything.  No amount of patient answering of their questions will EVER satisfy them!

Worrywarts are truly "warts" in our lives, bothersome, toxic people who attempt to play out their heightened anxieties using a facade of caring.  They may say, "Oh, I was so worried you'd get in a car accident today." In reality, they have NO TRUST either in you or in themselves. I think a bit of a "control freak" is also part of them.  A worrywart is afraid, terrified, that you will leave them.

Sad thing is, worrywarts never know any peace in their lives.  If they don't have anything to worry about, they create "what if?" scenarios.

Various ones of my adult children have moved back home with me temporarily, over the years.  That was fine; I enjoyed having each and every one of them back for a while.  One was a genuine worrywart. It drove me batty till I decided I had enough of the questions, especially since they were increasing.  The time I stopped it was the time I got mad: I was called on my cellphone two blocks from home!  And I even was returning earlier than I had said!  I answered the phone and practically yelled, "Don't call me unless I'm at least two hours overdue!  You are NOT going to put a leash on me!"  End of problem - almost.  After that, once in a while I would get a premature phone call and just ignore it.

If you have a worrywart in your life, you might try being firm like I was.  If that doesn't work, perhaps you could get the person to counseling.  I have no idea of statistics about divorce involving worrywarts, but I bet there's plenty of divorces due to one person being unable to trust the other.

What if YOU are the worrywart?  I've met some folks who know they have this problem, and would like to conquer it and gain some peace in their lives.  The fastest, best, cheapest road to freedom from worry is to trust in God and also, to trust yourself.  Yes, accidents happen, but not very often.  Yes, adult children sometimes make what we would consider bad choices, but: weren't we allowed to make mistakes and then learned from them?

Excessive worry harms us in every way: physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Once in a while I find myself worrying.  I talk to myself: can I do anything about this situation?  Yes?  Then I'll do it.  No?  Then I put the person in the hands of God.  Know that God loves our children far more than we do! End of worrying!

Dear Lord, please help us be understanding about those who don't behave as we do.  Please lead us to take action to have some peace in our lives!