Monday; October 30

In the mid-1960s Monsanto created a product that would eventually be called AstroTurf after its use in the Houston Astrodome. The synthetic product which resembled grass in many ways came to be a replacement for natural grass in many arenas. While it does have some usefulness (especially in climates where green grass isn’t always guaranteed) it has its own issues as well – including the aptly named “turf toe” injury. Through the years and development of other synthetic surfaces the name brand has given way to the more generic term – artificial turf.

Now, you might wonder why I am sharing this tidbit with you. Well, the other day I was dealing with an issue that really wasn’t an issue at all. For some reason I had allowed my mind to wander into a state of anxiety. When I came back to my senses, I realized that what I had done was create an artificial anxiety. I wasn’t worried about something real or even rational, my worry was as artificial as Astroturf! For whatever reason, my mind started playing games with me and the result was fretting about something so far-fetched that it really amounted to nothing! (By the way, I notice this happens to me most often when I am not very busy – especially when I am not being very productive.)

I believe there is value in being concerned about legitimate issues we are facing; however, we need to keep a couple things in mind. First, rather than worrying about them, why not pray about them? Even when we can’t control the outcome, we can have faith in Someone who can. Second, let’s not borrow trouble by playing in a world filled with artificial anxiety. When we live with real faith in our real world, things might just turn out real good.

Think About It!

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