We have often heard that we should cast our concerns aside. It is something we find ourselves saying, and during times of trouble others have likely given us this advice. However, how many of us actually do this? I know I struggle daily casting my concerns aside. I, like all of you, have things in my life that concern me or cause me to worry on a daily basis. I hold on to those concerns and worries and carry them with me as I go through my daily life. As I encounter more concerns, I pick those up and carry them with me. There have been times in my life when the weight of those concerns weighs me down to the point where I have trouble enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The weight of the concerns and worry are so heavy that I have trouble functioning.

God does not intend for any of us to be concerned or worried. He knows that living on this earth can cause us to be full of concern and worry, but He truly does want us to cast those concerns aside and not carry them around with us. You may be wondering how this is even possible. I have to tell you that it is not easy, but it can be done. We should all try a little harder to take our concerns to God and leave them with Him. The weight of those concerns will not weigh Him down. He can handle anything and everything that we bring to Him. His shoulders are strong enough to carry the worry and concern for everyone. Often when we bring our concerns to God, we pick them up and carry them back with us. We should all try a little harder to leave them with God.

I am a very visual person. I have to write things down so that I do not forget them. I have to see an arrangement in my house before I am confident that I will like it, and I have to see a picture of a plan before I know for sure if the plan will work. So, I have come up with a little exercise that I think will benefit us all. I am going to start writing down my concerns and worries on slips of paper, and then I am going to place those concerns in a basket. If you are like me, you have plenty of baskets to choose from. Each time I have a new concern, I am going to write it down and place it in the basket. This will represent me giving my concerns to God. I am going to do my best to leave the concerns in that basket, and I am not going to pick the papers up and read them again. Once they are in the basket, they are out of my hands and they are no longer my concerns. Those concerns now belong to God. After all, God knows what to do with things left in a basket. He sure knew how to take care of Moses and, as we know, he was once left in a basket too!

I hope you will do this exercise with me. I truly believe that if we cast our concerns aside and let God handle them, we will find that we feel lighter. We will find that we have more time to focus on the good things in life. This simple little exercise will represent us taking our concerns to God, and I think it will really help. We just have to be ever mindful not to pick the concerns up again. Casting our concerns aside and leaving them with God to take care of will bring all of us more peace and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~