“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34
Dagwood Bumstead has been making me laugh, teaching me lessons – and quite frankly, helping me see myself in a mirror – for about as long as I’ve been able to read the funny papers. I recall one in particular that really grabbed me at the time: It was Friday afternoon and Dagwood was about to leave the office. “Have a nice weekend, boss,” he bids his boss Mr. Dithers. “You’d better rest up this weekend, my boy,” Dithers responds with a smirk, “Monday morning can’t get here soon enough for me!!” The next scene shows Dagwood staring glumly out the car window when one of his carpool mates asks, “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” To which Dagwood replies, “I’ll probably just sit around and dread Monday.”
Can you see yourself in that story? I did. I wonder how many precious hours I have wasted in my lifetime sitting around dreading tomorrow? That’s what is so great about comic strips, how they highlight our own absurdities. We laugh at poor old Dagwood for how silly he looks, until we realize the joke is on us. Dagwood is simply holding a mirror up in front of us so that we can see our own folly.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” These wise words do not imply that we should not have “concern” about tomorrow, nor deny that trouble may lie ahead. Rather it says do not “worry” about tomorrow, and there is a distinct difference between worry and concern. Specifically worry paralyzes us, but concern calls us to action. Besides, worry can have devastating impacts on us, including damage to our health, causing the object of worry to consume our thoughts, disrupting our productivity, negatively affecting the way we treat others, and perhaps worst of all inhibiting our ability to trust in God.
Imagine if Dagwood would spend his weekend planning for Monday rather than worrying about it? Worrying is nothing but time wasted. But planning is time well spent. Planning is about thinking ahead, setting goals, determining the steps and scheduling the time – then letting go and trusting God. . . So thank you Dagwood Bumstead for highlighting our own folly, that we may see God’s wisdom more clearly.