Check your worries at the door, please

A big part of being a Young Adult Volunteer, is being rather than doing. The phrase was used so much at Discernment week in March, that it became like a hum in the background. It stopped affecting me. But, as the moment approaches rapidly where I bid adieu to the 24 years calling Dallas home, I've began to ponder the what I've come to understand as the motto of YAV- "being not doing"

There have been moments since accepting my call to serve where I have worried about the upcoming year-

What will I be doing?

Will I like Tucson?
Can I get accustomed to riding a bike everywhere?

How will my five roomies and I get along?

What if I can't find good mexican food?

Who will I call when I get lost, since my two go-to people, Greer and Emily, won't know my city?

How do I make my mom's green beans without a pressure cooker?

Will I get arrested?

And more seriously and more importantly- will I get comfortable in the new experience?

Again, Matthew 6:34 rings in my head: "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." It was sitting at dinner the other day with a good friend when I felt a sense of calm overwhelm me. All of the sudden "being, not doing," began to make sense. I'd gotten back in town that day from two weeks in Montreat, and to say I was a bit tired would be quite an understatement. While I was excited to spend an evening with Greer and Brandon, I was worried I'd be too tired to be very lively at dinner. However, As soon as I saw them, it was as though I'd hit a second wind. We almost immediately fell into pace catching up on everything, chatting, and choosing the perfect pizza toppings. It was sitting across the table from them, just focusing on the conversation rather than all of my mental to-do lists, that I felt like things were falling into place as they should. I felt like the Big Guy Upstairs had worked through my friends to remind me of Matthew 6:34. To me, enjoying the moment and cultivating relationships is what I anticipate will be the cornerstone of this upcoming year. A year of "being rather than doing." I'll try to check my worries at the door, too.