I tell you not to fear, and you fear. Do you know better than I? Do you think you are helpless and there is nothing you can do but worry?

I understand that you sense danger. Unwanted events do occur. I do not say otherwise, and, yet, is worry so important to you?

I speak now of interims in your life. You are waiting to hear. You are waiting to hear that a loved one comes out of surgery just fine, for example. During the waiting to know, must you fear the worst and go through scenario after scenario as if playing an unlikable story will ensure that you will hear good news? Must you live through disaster ahead of time? Must you put yourself through it?

Your child is late coming home. Very late. And your heart goes upside down, and you bite your nails.

What am I to do with you? Will you kindly desist worrying ahead of time? Worry is always ahead of time. When you worry, you are in a state, and not a state you want to be in.

You grieve ahead of time. You grieve before the fact, and you grieve after.

Worry is a snake. Through worry, you prepare yourself for disaster.

When you are going on a picnic, naturally, you prepare the food to take with you. And, if somehow, the picnic doesn't take place, you can still eat the food. But with worry, of course, when it turns out you were worrying for nothing, then you feel the spread of relief. Yet when your child does come home, you will be glad to see him whether you worried or not.

Perhaps worry occurs to prevent shock. Worry occurs a lot. I wish I knew how to keep you from worrying during the waiting interims on Earth. I would like you to spare yourself from worry.

As best you can, picture how wonderful it is when your child comes home. Prepare in your mind your child's homecoming. Let this be a joyous time. Let what is routine also be joyous. Instead of thinking about what is untenable to you, will you put more attention on what you have every day. Appreciate beforehand rather than worry beforehand.

Today you have health, and yet you latch on to the worry that tomorrow you may not.

Today everyone comes home on time, and yet you worry about a time when everyone may not. Other people have had tragedies. When do you have yours, you may say to yourself.

Meanwhile, beloveds, will you choose something else before worry? You have the choice of holding calmness to you. Would you choose calmness over worry? Then choose it. Why choose calamity? Why choose anguish when it may well not be necessary?

When you go to a friend's home, you look forward to good food. You don't make up a disastrous menu. You picture a good one. You look forward.

Will you, can you, look forward to a good turn of events rather than worrying about an untoward turn of events?

Can you look forward to a happy outcome rather than a worrisome one?

Will you look forward to happiness rather than to unhappiness?

What is to stop you from looking forward? Habit perhaps? You have been accustomed to worry. You may have made a habit of it.

If you have bitten your nails, can you not stop biting your nails?

When you worry, you are pulling the carpet out from under your own feet.

When you worry, you are getting yourself acclimated to woe.

During interims, let yourself have peace and the promise of peace.

 

John