Worrying

I think I may finally be growing up. I have always been a consummate worrier. Stressing about possible happenings that rarely, if ever, occur. Worrying gains us nothing but stress. We're told to trust in God and NOT to worry. So for years, I've been working on this problem of mine.
Having said all that, I do believe there is a thin line between worrying and planning. Thinking of possible outcomes to plan for them is different than worrying, although I often find myself crossing between planning and worrying and back again.
Being a stay-at-home mom has made me worry a little less, especially financially. Living on one income is not easy, especially if you play the comparison game to other families. We give up much by having me be at home. But, if I really look, I lack little, if anything in my life. Our financial situation seems to be cyclical. We do well...budget balanced, few "catastrophic" bills, etc. and we feel like we're doing great. Then within a few months, a number of things will happen (like the year our van needed hundreds of dollars of repairs, our tenants moved out of our rental home in the middle of the night without saying anything, and school tuition rose 10%). But, looking back, somehow things worked out. A few years ago when Hubby and I were weighing our options, we decided that plan A was the right plan, but that somehow I'd have to bring in $2,000 in the next 10 months. I had no obvious opportunities immediately in front of me, but we made the decision anyway, with the idea I'd begin looking for work shortly. Not 2 weeks later, I was offered a contract for curriculum work...for $2,000.
Here we are again, sailing along for the last two years with little true concerns. Then our home owners insurance tripled in February, unexpected travel out of town, wedding anniversaries and weddings, the Singer banging up the car...and once again the financial mountain seems to loom ahead. Troubles with my certification making my contract work unavailable indefinitely. Ugh. Then, 2 weeks ago, a friend called me, asking if I'd be interested in working part-time (4 days a week, 9am - 3pm) with flexibility based on the girls' school calendar. Her office is a mere 5 minutes from the Imp's school. It's a small office (two full time employees), and I'd be doing a lot of organizing and cataloguing...my strengths for sure. We met for lunch on Tuesday and I start training mid-July and begin in earnest when the girls return to school in August. Wow! What timing!
I'm not trying to be Pollyanna. Things COULD have been different. If I hadn't been offered this job, we'd have to cut back on things. I don't sit around waiting for God to solve my problems, but trusting in God makes the problems seem more manageable and helps me put the proper perspective on the issues. Does it really matter if we get a new couch, or replace our worn carpet, or take a trip to New York City or buy the new bestseller, or drive a beat up car, or miss the latest movies at the theater? We've got each other and a roof over our heads, and food on the table...the rest is gravy.