Worrier or Warrior?

I've always been able to sleep really well. On vacations in unfamiliar hotels or camping, I count on getting a good night's sleep, and I do. When my kids were little, Dave often nudged me awake, "Karen, the baby's crying," so I would breastfeed her or him, then go right back to sleep myself.

Now my kids are grown, nearly out of the house, and I'm finding sleep doesn't come so easy. They aren't always home when I go to bed, but they are expected back. They are driving their own vehicles and motorcycles, so I am finding lots of things to worry about.

I remember Dave's grandma always worrying about her grandkids for various reasons, and motorcycles were the worst. I determined I wouldn't be like that. Dave and I have had hours of carefree riding on the Harley all over Colorado and Arkansas, but last year when Caleb got a Harley and joined us on a few rides around Kansas, I noticed I was constantly checking the rear view mirror to make sure he had made the last turn successfully and was still upright.

Along with their safety, I worry about their futures. Their choices have been different from the ones I expected, and far different from my own. I chose Tabor College, a Christian school that happened to be in Hillsboro, my hometown. Caleb chose the Kansas Air National Guard to help pay for college, studied a semester at Butler but is now thinking he'll follow my brother David's career path and become a lineman. Harrison leaves in a week for New Jersey to begin basic training with the U.S. Coast Guard. I don't know how it will turn out.

So when I wake at night I have plenty of things to mull over. The other night I was nearly consumed with worry. I thought, "Oh no! I've become a worrier." So I prayed.

My long-time go-to verse is Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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."

I am committing to pray that verse when I wake in the middle of the night. Because I would much rather be a warrior than a worrier.