I have a luggage tag attached to my overnight bag. It’s so pretty. It’s a gift from a friend and makes me smile at the remembrance of her thoughtfulness, but I don’t like the tag. Why? It’s convicting. Yes, this is what I read every time I look down at it…

Worry. Are you ever guilty? I sure am.

What will this year hold?

What will happen in the upcoming election?

Will there be a financial, health or personal crisis with which I’ll have to face?

On and on the worries go. They march ahead of me like angry Hobby Lobby shoppers on the day after Christmas. As powerless as I am at Hobby Lobby, I am even less powerful at the feet of these worries.

Matthew 6 reminds us to “Take no thought of the morrow, for the morrow will take thought of the things of itself.” No thought. It’s not my business to think about all the things that might, would, or could happen. I don’t have to think about it because God is already there. He is eternal and He is omniscient.  Therefore, He is already there. He is omnipotent, therefore He is able to care for whatever the needs will be. No need for any thought on my part, but plenty God’s end. He has my steps mapped out.
So instead of worrying, I must pray.

That is all.

Pray for the one who wearies my heart. Pray for the scare in my soul. Pray for the unknown, the known, the best, the worst. Prayers are to be my only thoughts about these matters.

That pretty little luggage tag reminds me that just like a trip I may take, my life is a journey of trusting my God, one leg of the adventure at a time. Trusting God really is an adventure – one that is mapped out by my Creator. I’ll get to the correct place if I will just take my cares to Him.

What is causing you to fret today? Let me share some advice I really do like…

Stop worrying. Start praying.

With love,

It was just a little piece of jewelry, but it meant so much to me. It was a hoop earring with small diamonds, given to me by my husband when I finished the home school education of our youngest daughter. It was sentimental and special to me and I cherished those earrings, and I wore them often. Then last week it happened – I went to take them off, and instead of finding one in each ear, I only found the one in my left ear.

I searched everywhere. The floor, the laundry, the washer and dryer. It was nowhere to be found.

During the time of my searching, I had been listening to a message on my phone about prayer. The preacher was talking about how every part of our lives matters to God. There is no part of my life that is mine and the rest God cares about. No! He is interested and caring about it all. In the midst of my hunt, I stopped to pray and acknowledge the presence and power of my living God in even this small detail of my life. But, still no earring.

I wondered if the Lord was teaching me other lessons – perhaps,that things don’t matter. Then about three days after it was lost, I was doing my morning routines of cleaning the bathroom and when I stooped over to clean the bathtub, I saw something shiny and small…MY EARRING!

I have no idea how it didn’t go down the drain earlier. I have no idea really how it got in the tub, but I do know that the Lord knew all along where it was, and I am sure He guided me to find it. I stopped then to thank Him and acknowledge His guidance and help in this detail that was important to me.

What a sweet reminder that He cares for every part of my life and yours! This was no coincidence, of that I am sure. I’m so thankful that I have a loving, wise heavenly Father to whom I can take my cares. I didn’t need this situation to know He cares – His Word tells me over and over again, and He proved it on Calvary, but how sweet these reminders are!

It makes me realize all the more that in every detail of my life, I must acknowledge God. How could I just move on as though He doesn’t exist? I need Him for the big things – decisions, provision, wisdom, courage to witness, and the little things – desires, remembering details, help for my daily routine as a homemaker, help with my meal prep; whatever is important to me. Nothing is too big, nor is anything too small that God is not interested.

What is on your heart today? Have you acknowledged the Lord in that area or need? Pray about it, then when He answers, be sure to give Him the credit due His wonderful Name, even for the little things!

With love,