Don’t worry

From The Imitiation of Christ, by Thomas a’ Kempis:

What does that worry about future events bring thee but only sorrow upon sorrow?  “Sufficient for the day is the day is the evil therof [Matt 6:24]”

It is a vain and unprofitable thing to conceive either grief or joy for future things, which perhaps will never happen.

But it is human to be deluded with such imaginations; and a sign of a soul that is yet weak to be so easily drawn away by the suggestions of the enemy.

For he ares not whether it be with things true or false that he abuses and deceives thee, whetehr he overthrow thee with the love of things present or the fear of things to come.

“Let not, therefore, thy heart be troubled and let it not be afraid [John 14:27]”

Believe in Me and trust in My mercy.

When thou thinkest I am far from thee, I am often nearest to thee.

All is not lost when anything falls out otherwise than thou would like to have it.

Thou must not judge according to thy present feeling, nor give thyself up in such manner to any trouble, however it comes, nor take it as though all hope were gone of being delivered out of it.

Think not thyself wholly foresaken, although for a time I have sent thee some tribulations, or withdrawn from thee the comfrot which thou desirest; for this is the way to the kingdom of heaven.

And without doubt it is more expedient for thee, and for the rest of my servants, that thou be exercised by adversities than that thou shouldst have all things according to thy inclination.

I know thy secret thoughts, I know that it is very expedient for thy soul that thou shouldst sometimes be left without consolation, lest thou shouldst be puffed up with much success and shouldst take a complacence in thyself, imagining thyself to be what thou art not.

What I have given I can justly take away and restore it again when I please.

Sometimes it is very hard to not get our way.  Sometimes it is hard to see how God’s good may be acting when things turn against us.  Try to remember that everything that occurs is for our good and an occasion to grow closer to God through His Son Jesus Christ.  Do as St. Padre Pio said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”