"Throw all your anxiety onto God, because God cares about you."
-1 Peter 5:7 CEB
I had just put the finishing touches on my youngest brother’s bedroom. He had moved into a new group home, and I was trying to help him settle into this new space. As I was talking about the many things he had to look forward to, I noticed that my brother was wiping at his eyes. Shocked, I realized he had started crying, and I asked, “What’s wrong buddy?”
He gave me his standard reply, as always, “Oh, nothing. I’m alright. I’m alright.” He could have replied that he is not doing well at all, but of course, he didn’t.
My brother and I have weathered some difficult circumstances over the past two years. Our father’s death, and our mother’s mental decline top the list. These events thrust my brother into needing to physically move, and that shattered his cocoon of normalcy. It messed up the routines my brother has counted on for his 50 years of life.
My brother has been physically and mentally handicapped since birth. He has always relied on his parents and siblings to care for him. That includes protecting him from changes to his routine that tend to destabilize him.
Of all people, my brother is the bravest soul I know. Just hours after birth he underwent the first of a succession of surgeries to repair an opening at the base of his skull. This area exposed his spinal cord and part of his brain tissue. He suffered seizures as an infant and toddler. My brother has battled most of his life to reach developmental milestones that most folks take for granted, like simply talking and walking.
Seeing him on this particular day, I noticed his disability more than usual, which was evident in his facial features. However, the more time I spend with him, the daily positive outlook outshines all else.
My brother truly lives in the moment. Trusting caregivers to provide for his needs comes naturally. I have often looked at him and wondered what it would feel like to really let go of worries. To just be filled with the joy of living in the moment day after day.
I have tried to incorporate a daily “letting go” of worries and concerns as a part of my Bible reading and prayer time. I envision it as letting go of the end of my rope, and trusting God to hold on to me.
While this is sometimes easy within the prayer time moments, as the day progresses I often find myself taking a hold of the rope again. I seem to run ahead with my plans, my strivings, my control, my worries …only to realize again, “Oops! God is in control.” So I say sorry to God, and repeat the letting go. Once again letting God have the worries.
It seems as humans we are a forgetful species. Thank God our Creator never forgets or forsakes us. As a child of God, am I not called to cast all cares and fears on the Lord? (See 1 Peter 5:7)
By the work of the Holy Spirit, I am able to have a personal relationship with a God who cares about each moment of my life. This is especially evident in the times when I feel my sense of security is being shattered.
Yet God is a loving Father, and He provides for my everyday needs. Daily I am reminded to rely on God, just as my brother relies on others. When I do this, I can trust God to take care of whatever challenges come my way.
God is trustworthy and faithful. Always close by in my joys and struggles. God hears prayers and wants me to come to Him with an honest, open heart, telling Him what is going on. God is not afraid of my questions, and can bear whatever I have to say. In fact, God is the best friend I have ever had.
FOR FURTHER THOUGHT
In Exodus 16 we find the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. They are hungry, thirsty, and are complaining and questioning God’s plan for their lives. In response to their complaints, God provided manna from heaven, a type of bread to sustain them on their journey.
Exodus 16:4 “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not.”
Each day the Israelites would wake up to find the manna (small bits or flakes of bread) covering the ground so that they could gather and eat it. This provision from God was a miracle, and a daily reminder of God’s love and grace for His people. This daily provision was a tangible expression of God’s care for His children’s physical needs.
Yet it was not just the physical needs in which God was providing. It was also a test of the Israelites’ faith and trust in God. They had to learn to rely on God completely. To trust that God would provide for them day by day. To test them, God instructed them to only gather enough manna for that day. The Israelites were called to “live in the moment.”
Reflecting on this story, it is evident how it applies to our own lives. We, too, are on a journey through life that often includes sorrow and uncertainty. We face hunger and thirst, both physically and spiritually. We are often tempted to complain and question God’s plan for our lives. We gather more stuff than we need, leaving others with too little.
However, the story of God’s provision of manna brings to mind that we each have a choice to trust a God who is faithful and always with us. To choose to trust a God who provides just exactly what we need so that we may also live our lives in the moment.
We can learn to trust God completely. We do this by relying on Him daily to take away our fears and worries, trading them for joys. It may require a repetitive handing over of worries to God, and then praying for guidance on how we live out our faith. Believing that God acts in our best interest.
Take some time to consider these questions. How can we best live in the moment? How can we be present to the needs before us? How easy is it to surrender and allow God to take care of tomorrow? I would love to hear from you. Send a note in the chat response if you would like to.
PRAYER
Loving, Gracious and Merciful God, thank you for providing exactly what I need. I marvel at the miracle of manna from heaven. Help me to lean into you, trusting your provision and faithfulness to walk beside me each and every day. Guide me to gather the manna that you provide. Continue to nurture and care for my family, friends, and me every day of this journey. That by living in the moment, your light will shine brightly into a world filled with sorrows and uncertainties. In the loving name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
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Marla Waldron is a beloved daughter of the Heavenly Father, and a sister, wife, mother, teacher and friend. She faithfully serves in her local church and community by serving in food and clothing banks, taking part in fundraising walks/runs and actively participating in, as well as leading, small group Bible studies for The Dented Fender Ministry. As a public school educator for 35 years she has been privileged to mentor countless beginning teachers. Currently she serves as an Intervention Specialist with Kindergarten students.
Marla is the mother of three grown children, and since her father's death she has taken on the responsibility of caring for her multiple handicapped, 50 year old brother. It is only by the grace of God that she has been able to emerge from some pretty dark tunnels of grief and self doubt in order to step along with God; one step at a time. She has learned how to hang on tight to God's truths and for sure, never expect the ride of this life to be dull. She and her husband live in Ohio.
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