Cast Your Cares

January 21, 2020

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

{Once you’ve cast your burdens on God, don’t try to grab it back so you can relive it.}

Do you ever read a devotional and think that it was written just for you? That happened to me this morning. I start every morning reading my Girlfriends in God devotional while I eat my breakfast. It’s a great way to start the morning: hot tea in my hand, dog on my lap while reading and connecting with God. The title of the devotional was “Run to the Throne, Not Your Phone” by Lisa Morrone.

Last week I had to fight the impulse to call my friends to have them pray for me. I know that seems like a weird statement. Why wouldn’t I want to have my friends pray for me? Because in that exact moment, I had already prayed for the situation and released it to God. If I then called my friends to have them pray, it would be like saying that my prayer wasn’t enough or that I didn’t think God would really listen to me and take care of the situation. I needed to completely trust that God had the situation under control. Once I did that, I had a total sense of calm come over me.

It is true that we are to bear one another’s burdens, but I heard at this moment, in this situation, that I was to completely trust God for this circumstance. I was driving back from an out-of-town training when I got a frantic call from my daughter. “Mom, how far away are you?” she asked. I was about an hour-and-a-half away from home. “We flipped the Polaris.” I was confused because my son had asked if he and a friend could ride the Polaris, so I didn’t understand what she meant by, “we.” She told me they were okay, but that Jonah’s hand hurt. I told her to hang up the phone and call our neighbor, Patti.

The next twenty minutes seemed like an eternity. I immediately prayed for God to protect my kids, get the right people to them at the right time, and of course for healing and comfort. I prayed as I drove and tried to pay attention to my surroundings and speed. I thought about calling my friends, Rachel and Karen. But I heard God tell me, “I have this under control.” I knew I needed to stay safe and get to my kids in one piece. I knew I needed to keep my focus on the road. I knew nothing I did could change the situation. So, I turned up the worship music and began thanking and praising God for what He was already doing. 

I finally got another call, this time from the emergency room asking for my permission to treat my son. I didn’t allow panic to take over. I told her to do whatever needed to be done and she reminded me to not speed. I pulled into town an hour later and went directly to the emergency room. When I entered the room, I saw my kids surrounded by loving people and being treated by attentive staff. I recognized one of the nurses as my former neighbor. She was supposed to get off duty at six; but, when she saw my kids, she stayed with them until I could get there. Patti was also there comforting Hannah. I could tell Hannah had been crying, but I also saw the relief on her face when she saw me. 

Jonah’s hand had multiple fractures, but he was going to be okay. Hands can heal. His sister was driving and it tipped to the passenger side. He must have put his hand out to try to brace himself. (Sidenote: never stick your hand/arm out to stop a moving vehicle, your hand is not designed to handle that kind of weight.) Hannah climbed out of the Polaris, unstrapped her brother, and managed to flip it back over with one hand. The nurse checked her over. She did not have any apparent injuries, but they said to monitor her over the next few days. She was extremely sore for about three days but doesn’t seem to have any lasting physical effects. I am still monitoring her for emotional effects because she completely blames herself for the accident.

I continue to praise God for protecting my children and putting the right people in their path. I am also thankful for my spiritual growth. I remembered to go to the throne before I went to the phone. Now that the situation is not critical, I can talk through my emotions with my God-loving friends. But they are not God. I must remember to bring my problems to Him directly and then not try to fix the situation on my own.

Link to Lisa Morrone’s devotional with Girlfriends in God: Run to the Throne, Not to Your Phone!

More verses to ponder:

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Isaiah 41:13

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,

Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,