What The Princess and the Pea Taught Me About Worrying
When my daughter was a little girl, she loved for me to read the story about the princess and the pea to her.
The idea of the story was this princess was able to prove her worth by her ability to feel a pea under several layers of mattresses. By doing so, the royal family recognized her value and allowed her to marry their son who was a prince.
I’ve been thinking about that pea lately. It was nothing more than a tiny hard stone. It shouldn’t have bothered her at all since it was under many layers of soft material.
But that princess tossed and turned all night.
I have nights like that too.
My problems invade my dreams, keeping me from much-needed rest. I wake up out of sorts, momentarily unaware of what exactly is bothering me.
Then my mind searches for and finds the problem that is causing me so much pain.
That princess was accustomed to a life of luxury. Her body was unable to rest because there was something foreign invading her environment.
Her focus was 100% on what was wrong, making it impossible for her to notice all those lovely soft layers.
When I worry about something it tends to consume me. Everything that is right in my life takes a back seat as this problem overwhelms me.
That princess slept on a huge mattress. She had plenty of room for comfort, room to move away from the pain and discomfort the pea caused her.
There was no need for her to toss and turn that night. After all, the pea could easily be removed the next morning. She just had to go to the royal family, tell them about it, and wait for them to fix the problem.
This thing that’s wearing me down feels much bigger than a pea though.
It’s actually pretty awful. But, when I look at it from the perspective of God’s goodness in my life, I have to admit that it is actually pretty small.
I know the Lord wants what is best for me. I also know trials can sometimes be a test of my faith. And there’s definitely infinitely more good in my life than bad.
I’m certainly not the first person to face a problem that feels impossibly hard.
Paul asked for his thorn to be removed. In fact, he asked three times before he chose to trust and wait.
Many sermons have been preached about his hardship. I certainly don’t presume to know why God allowed this to happen to him but I know that He did.
And, for whatever reason, we are not told what the problem was or if it ever went away in Paul’s lifetime.
There is, however, evidence of Paul not allowing his painful issue to crowd out his relationship with the Lord.
Unlike the princess and the pea, which bothered her sleep, Paul was able to minister to others and serve the Lord in spite of his thorn in the flesh.
The message is clear. Troubles will most definitely come our way, but they do not have to define who we are in Christ.
Our job is to trust and obey.
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