Sticky Gum, Fretting & Evil

Do you ever find yourself fretting?

In my morning meditations I came across this word: fret.

It stuck.

Usually when something "sticks" I need to pay attention. It's like the old piece of Wrigley's spearmint gum on the bottom of your new pair of Pumas; it won't go away until you stop and address it.

So thanks to Dictionary.com I decided to pay attention:

FRET:

1. to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like: Fretting about the lost ring isn't going to help.

2. to cause corrosion; gnaw into something: acids that fret at the strongest metals.

3. to make a way by gnawing, corrosion, wearing away, etc.: The river frets at its banks until a new channel is formed.

4. to become eaten, worn, or corroded (often fol. by away): Limestone slowly frets away under pounding by the wind and rain.

5. to move in agitation or commotion, as water: water fretting over the stones of a brook. –verb (used with object)

6. to torment; irritate, annoy, or vex: You mustn't fret yourself about that.

7. to wear away or consume by gnawing, friction, rust, corrosives, etc.: the ocean fretting its shores.

8. to form or make by wearing away a substance: The river had fretted an underground passage.

I don't know what gnaws, corrodes, torments, irritates, annoys and agitates you, but as I have reflected on my life, I realize that most of the things that I have fretted about are self-imposed and or repressed deep inside.

I meditated on the psalmist's prayer/poem:

"Be still before God and wait patiently for God; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked (morally bad in principle or practice; spiteful; malevolent; vicious) schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil (morally wrong or bad; immoral;harmful; injurious)."

When I am fretting I am not making space for Love to heal, restore and make me and the other whole ... actually I am doing the opposite.