Leaving My Worries

I worry, that’s what I do. Heavy-hearted I headed out to my weekly jail ministry. The women prisoners love the “pass it on” cards I leave with them. Each card contains a gem of spiritual wisdom. They decorate their cells with them and often ask for extras so they can mail them to their kids. These cards are the only gift they can send to their families—an expression of love and a desire for connection.

Today’s card had this message: “Hello, this is God. I will be handling all your problems today. Your job is to give them to me and to trust me.”

God Has My Worries

I was hit with a stark realization. This is what I need now! My son was thousands of miles away in South America and very ill. He had gone to Chile on a church building mission but was now traveling alone, suffering from a food-borne illness. I felt helpless and deeply concerned. There was nothing I could do but pray. Leaving my worries in God’s care seemed too simple.

God is able, I am not. Give it up; cast it far away like a fly on the end of a fisherman’s rod. Leave it there. These thoughts gave me peace. I revealed my struggle to the women prisoners. I told them, “God is powerful enough to trust. Worry is an insidious illusion, fueled by my scheming. Disguised as a rescuer, worry persists as a sly meddler, an attempt to control.” The women got it! I felt closer to them.

I sensed that things would turn around for my son. They did, and he recovered. This was the beginning of my recovery as well, from worry. I knew that I could trust God in a way I had not known before.

With light steps, I walked through those impregnable jail doors. I breathed a prayer: “Thank you God for handling my problems today. You did a great job.”

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Susanne Trethewey writes from the Pacific Northwest.

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