"Kat, is that you?," a groggy Grant Berg mumbled as he shielded his eyes from the bathroom light. "It's three o'clock in the morning. What are you doing up?" Katherine Berg was shuffling noisily in the bathroom, pulling her hair back into a neat ponytail. "I can't sleep. I was thinking about some things I need to add to my presentation." Katherine worked part-time for a large professional services firm and was up for partnership this year. Tomorrow she was pitching her company's services to Motorola. Making partner was all she's been thinking about lately, and landing Motorola would go a long way towards cementing her partnership.

Grant walked into the bathroom shaking his head at his wife. "I thought you were satisfied with the presentation when you quit last night," he said. "What could you possibly add that you haven't already put in there after the thirty hours or so you have been working on this thing? It's all you've been thinking about for about the last month." Katherine stopped brushing her hair and turned to her husband. "You're right. I have been thinking about this partnership a lot," she said. "But you don't seem to understand. I am the first part-timer up for partner. My co-workers resent to no end the very fact that I am even being considered. I hear them grumbling all the time about me getting 'special treatment." That's strike one. Strike two is that I'm a woman. This is an old-time company. Do you know that in the history of this company only one woman has ever been made partner, and she was the founder's wife!" Katherine paused to catch her breath. Her voice was horse from too little sleep and from practicing her presentation too much. "To make partner," she continued, softer now, "I have to be better than everyone else. Way better. If that means getting up in the middle of the night, then, well, so be it."

"I know how much this means to you, honey. I really do." Grant said, as he cradled his wife's face. "But have you noticed that before the partnership you were up nights worrying about getting part-time status. And before that you were worrying about getting work on the good accounts. I'm telling you, you're worrying too much, such worry is a ---"

"I know, I know," Katherine said quickly, cutting off her husband and turning away from him, "such worry is a sin. Well, I don't agree. Nothing annoys me more than those Christians who flutter through life doing crappy work, but telling everyone, 'Don't worry, be happy. God's in charge.' I'm of the opinion that we do a better job of representing Christ when we worry about our work. When we leave no stone unturned." Grant looked closely at his wife and let out a deep breath. "I know you don't want to talk about this, and now is probably not the time, but this issue is not going to go away. You'll have to make time to discuss this with me when this presentation is over."

"Okay, I will," she said. "I promise." Katherine turned back to the mirror, secretly grateful that Grant didn't push the issue. She needed whatever energy she had to work, not to argue. Seeing her reflection again startled her. There were lines in her face she hadn't seen before. And a tiredness that surprised her. She shook it off. It must be the lighting and the fact that is was three in the morning. After all, she is doing the things God wants her to do. She's active with her Bible study, she's room-mom for her daughter's second grade class, she spends Thursday mornings with her youngest daughter's play group, and she even helps her husband one day a week with his new "adventure" --- a woodworking store. No, Grant is wrong. The worry she has is not the kind God is talking about. Her worry was a normal, and even healthy part of life. It's what pushed her, what made her excel and be able to do all she did. Satisfied with her thoughts, she returned to the task at hand. It was important to focus on her presentation to be sure that nothing interfered with her well-oiled plan for partnership. Yes, she reminded herself, once that was accomplished, then she'd stop worrying.