These past few days, I have been very focused on several changes. This morning, while making breakfast, I remembered a scene from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A wise man asks a young man to walk around his palace while carrying a spoon with two drops of oil without spilling them. The first time around, the young man is so focused on the oil that he does not notice anything in the palace. The second time, he marvels at everything around him, but spills the oil. In other words, if I focus only on my “drops,” I lose sight of life. If I focus only on life, I neglect what I need to take care of.
Sometimes our worries are like those two drops. They consume so much of our attention that we stop looking toward God, the present moment, and the people around us (Luke 10:41–42).
The Bible warns us about living this way. Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). We are also invited to let go of our burdens: “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). We can take care of our responsibilities while trusting God with the things we cannot control.
When we hold on too tightly to our worries because we are afraid everything will fall apart, we lose our peace and begin to overlook the gifts already in front of us: a conversation with someone we love, the beauty of everyday life, or an opportunity to serve. Eventually, our bodies and minds become exhausted, and our relationships begin to suffer.
We are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. We were never meant to carry the weight of the world. That place belongs to God, and when we place our burdens in His hands, we have room to truly live: to breathe, observe, give thanks, share, rest, and pay attention to what really matters.
Today, do something simple and practical: place everything in the Lord’s hands. Say, “Lord, I give it all to You today.” Pray. Step outside for some fresh air and look at the sky. Read for a while without your phone. Share a meal and be fully present. Pay attention to your thoughts and open your eyes to what is happening right now. Do not let worry steal this day from you.
📸 Image taken by Ramón Sánchez
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