As I’m writing this, I’m preparing to leave home for five days. I’ll be heading to the Hope*Writers Conference in North Carolina. It will be the first time I’ve flown alone since 2014. I have low level anxiety that is threatening to bust out of my seams. What if’s are running rampant in my brain. What if: I miss my connecting flight, get sick while I’m away from home, don’t pack enough underwear (at my age, the struggle is real!). In other words, anxiety about ALL. THE. THINGS.
Like a mama soothing her fussy baby, I sensed my sweet Jesus reminding me ever so gently that He has His eye on me.
Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Matthew 6:26 CSB
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
God cares for me, He has His eye on me and He’s holding me in His mighty hands. My part is to turn over my anxieties to Him. Humph. Easier said than done. So I have to ask myself “How can I release all this STUFF to God?”
I believe the lesson He’s whispering into my anxious soul is this: Rest in Me. Release your anxieties to Me, and rest in Me. Cast all your cares on Me.
How, Lord, how?
Remember.
Remember all those memorial stones I’ve piled up through the years, marking God’s faithfulness. Remember all those times He has provided, under circumstances that were much worse than this. Remember His love and care, and that His eye on me.
Remember, knowing that
- He will bring peace to my heart
- He is in control
- He cares for me.
I can make the choice to remember how my God has cared for me in the past. I know God will do it again. I have Christ in me, walking with me, protecting me. Always.
And when I forget and begin fretting anew, I make the choice again.
Rest. Release. Remember. Repeat.
[tweetthis]God cares for the smallest birds in the sky, He will surely keep His loving and protective eye on me. [/tweetthis]
Are you distressed or worried about every little thing today, friend? Rest in Him. Make the moment by moment choice to release your anxieties to God. And remember, He cares for you!
Grace be with you,
I hope you have a fantastic time at the conference. From pictures on social media, it looks like it. It appears you slayed anxiety well. Praise God.
Slayed it by His power! Thanks my friend!
Girl! I loved meeting you! It was like a natural thing to be with you and Carmen and Julie. Like we’ve done it before. Glad you did not let that ugly ‘a’ word have the say on your trip to the conference. I’m so grateful we got to meet.
It was so great meeting you too!! Finally! I love how brave you are, and will just walk right up to someone and introduce yourself! You’re awesome!