I'm working to bush up and expand my tiny capacity to speak and understand Spanish and ran across an interesting thing.
Since many words in English are derived from Latin as is Spanish, and since in a world where English and Spanish are the two most commonly spoken languages (in various forms) many words are sufficiently similar to make a link between words: no, animal. menu, idea, solo, total and television all may have some pronunciation changes but they are just exactly what they look like they are. (There are false cognates also, so be careful!)
But today I was sorting words that were candidates to add to my vocabulary list and I ran across the Spanish verb for "to worry" which is preocuparse and I laughed out loud. What an utterly perfect word to describe "worrying" -- preoccupied!
Surely worry is nothing like considering, or evaluating or researching options or planning or making changes in actions or attitudes. Worry is being preoccupied with fretting and fussing and ignoring the blessings of the day in favor of being dissatisfied. It is discounting God as being true in God's revealing God's own nature to us: God cares about us, knows (and executes) what is best for us in the larger picture, loves us beyond measure and sends the Spirit of God to guide us, teach us and lead us to love more deeply.
So I'll forgo worrying in favor of learning, praying, trusting, growing, building and loving. I choose to be occupied in doing rather than preoccupied with worry that steals time better spent in trusting and engaging and doing and the relationship with God that gets all that in the effective order.
So the next time I am tempted to worry, I will say to God "Help me to be preoccupied by worry never more: Preocupo nunca más."
Since many words in English are derived from Latin as is Spanish, and since in a world where English and Spanish are the two most commonly spoken languages (in various forms) many words are sufficiently similar to make a link between words: no, animal. menu, idea, solo, total and television all may have some pronunciation changes but they are just exactly what they look like they are. (There are false cognates also, so be careful!)
But today I was sorting words that were candidates to add to my vocabulary list and I ran across the Spanish verb for "to worry" which is preocuparse and I laughed out loud. What an utterly perfect word to describe "worrying" -- preoccupied!
Surely worry is nothing like considering, or evaluating or researching options or planning or making changes in actions or attitudes. Worry is being preoccupied with fretting and fussing and ignoring the blessings of the day in favor of being dissatisfied. It is discounting God as being true in God's revealing God's own nature to us: God cares about us, knows (and executes) what is best for us in the larger picture, loves us beyond measure and sends the Spirit of God to guide us, teach us and lead us to love more deeply.
So I'll forgo worrying in favor of learning, praying, trusting, growing, building and loving. I choose to be occupied in doing rather than preoccupied with worry that steals time better spent in trusting and engaging and doing and the relationship with God that gets all that in the effective order.
So the next time I am tempted to worry, I will say to God "Help me to be preoccupied by worry never more: Preocupo nunca más."
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