Supplements

Commentary

By Liz Quirin

Professional Worriers Need Not Apply

With the economic roller-coaster we’ve been riding lately, and the dreaded “downsizing” word floating around in many places, we have a right to worry, don’t we? It’s a natural response to the upheaval we’ve seen in so many people’s lives over the past three years. In some cases people have not only lost their homes but also their jobs, their savings, everything that gives them a chance to thrive.

However, some people make worrying a way of life. You could call them professional worriers. In fact, if we wanted to, we could probably contact these people — and we all know them or are related to them — and give them a list of items we would like for them to worry about so that we can spend our time and energy in pursuit of other goals. Maybe that sounds facetious, and maybe it is, a bit, but sometimes people who worry can drive us to distraction. What to do?

If we can’t/won’t engage them to worry for us, perhaps we can look at why they’re worrying. What is it that causes them such emotional distress? Is it real or imagined? When someone worries about losing their jobs, their homes, their savings, these crises are real and often support from other family members, neighbors, the parish community and others is warranted and needed. That’s the time for us to step up and step in to see what we can do or offer to help. Other such crises that many of us are seeing — or are facing ourselves — more often are life-changing medical test results that come with seemingly unending costs and consequences.

Again, these are real reasons to worry, and we do. Worrying, though, can be exhausting work whether the worries are justified or not. Sometimes, we can spend so much time worrying that we become paralyzed, unable to act reasonably, sensibly or with a determination to look for hope. These days we can carry a seed of hope within us, nourish it by prayer and stand back to see how God works within our lives and those we love.

Although sometimes our prayers are answered in a way we may not like, it does not negate the power of God working in our lives nor the need for us to continue to pray, perhaps more for the grace to accept what is happening than for a specific outcome that fits with our personal world view.

Being an irrepressible optimist may not fit in this scenario when the news remains dire or seems to get progressively worse with the passage of time. Maybe we don’t need to be so optimistic, or perhaps we need to muzzle that optimism in favor of that hope that we feed with our faith and our trust in God’s providence. No matter how much we want to know what’s around the corner, what may or may not happen tomorrow, next week, next month or next year, that time does not belong to us yet. Not knowing can be a blessing, especially if what lies ahead will be more difficult than today.

One of our priests, retiring after 50 years of ministry said: “Any time I needed help, the Lord was always there.” That’s a good way for all of us to look at each day, and then be grateful for whatever God sends our way.