Several years ago my pet loving neighbor gave me a scratching post she no longer needed. I didn’t ask for it, but I took it gladly, since my cat had a wimpy little one that was constantly getting knocked over. This one looked to be in good shape, and I thankfully accepted it.
About 6 months later, I got a call from her “You know that scratching post I gave you a while ago? Could I have it back? I need it.”
Uh. Sure. It was yours in the first place. I guess you really didn’t give it to me for keeps.
But I wondered. When someone gives you something, is it really yours for keeps? If they ask for it back, what do you do?
Which got me to thinking about cares. The cares of this life that weigh us down. God asks us to cast them on Him, because he wants to carry them for us. So, we hand them over like a bag of stinky laundry and say, “Here, God, is my load of cares. Thanks for taking them over.”
And then not too long after, we do it.
“Lord, You know that overwhelming situation I gave over to you yesterday? Could I have it back?”
And God seems to accommodate us. He holds these cares very loosely. He gives us what we want.
How do we give a care to God and leave it there? How does it keep coming back even when we really don’t want it? Why do we take it back?
I’m thinking casting our cares on Him is a daily action, but does it ever stop? How do we know when we’ve really given it over and released our ownership of it?
How do we say once and for all “Lord, I give this to You”, and leave it with Him?
Not sure I’ve mastered that yet.
I haven't mastered that either, but I sure hope Shonnon's sister has. Shannon gave me a fish tank that belonged to her sister several years back, and, well, I just gave it to Thrift City. :-) Maybe I should have checked?
ReplyDeleteHa!ha! Well, you could protect yourself and blame Shannon, if worse came to worst! ;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't mastered it either. Some day.
ReplyDeleteso true...very well said. I like the picture you made for me of it. I will be thinking on this.
ReplyDelete