“Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” 1 Peter 5:7 TLB

As an adult, Christmas was not a holiday I eagerly awaited. Gifts to buy, decorating, addressing Christmas cards – it was overwhelming. The celebration of Jesus’s birth should not have evoked this reaction, yet it did. I ran around frantically, spending exhausting hours trying to make everything “perfect.” I seldom took time to enjoy the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies or admire the soft glow of Christmas lights my husband carefully arranged on the tree.

When I think about the verse above, it assures me He will carry my burdens, He promised, and He is faithful to His promises, at Christmas and always. To remind me, I keep a journal of times I’ve been filled with anxiety and how He intervened to resolve my problem, not necessarily my way, but always the best way. It’s been a long process to learn to turn over my cares to Him. It’s a muscle that had to be developed and must be used constantly. Giving Him my worries lightens my load and brings me peace.

I can trust Him, as He promises. Turn your cares over to Him too, as we celebrate Christmas and the coming year.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness and concern. Thank You for carrying our burdens for us.

written by Sherrie Senft