What If?

Years ago while heading to church on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning I was mulling over the expression What if. I don’t remember why, but I imagine I was doing so because I had probably just asked it. Those two words can come off my lips all too easily when I anticipate a negative outcome. Thankfully, I have gotten better at not asking that question as often as I used to. God has worked in my heart in many different ways including through something that occurred to me during that ride.

In the van that morning I made the connection that What if and worry both start with W. I found that mildly amusing and completely appropriate because they are so often related. When we worry we ask What iF and asking What if makes us worry! I mused that if we could take the worry away, we wouldn’t ask What if. I took that idea to the words themselves and removed the W. This all happened because of the way my mind works. I love words and I love acronyms. I love to make up acronyms, though I have to admit I’m not very good at it. Many of the acronyms that I come up with are pretty lame. Well, this time the results of my word game were different. I considered the remaining letters h,a,t,i,f and started scrambling them in my head. To my surprise and delight they spelled a word! No need for an unimpressive acronym! Have you figured it out yet? If you rearrange the letters you get the word FAITH! How cool is that?

This has been a helpful reminder that faith appears when we trust the Lord and stop worrying and stop asking What if. Or said differently, our faith can remain and not get scrambled when we continue to trust the Lord and not worry. I don’t think the word FAITH hidden in What if is a coincidence. I believe God is sovereign even over the development of our English language. It was a delight to find this little gem inside of this question that can be so hard to stop asking.

I decided to make an image of this concept. I have posted it below. May you take the W out each day through the power and grace of God.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7