The sunny side of the street

"casting all your care"

1 Peter 5:7

The Apple of my Eye said something sweet to me the other day.  He probably says something sweet to me most days, but I'm not paying attention... (kidding)

We were talking about the many months we spent with him in a state of semi-employment.  By that I mean he temped and free-lanced while searching for a permanent job.  A search that took almost three years.   We had to do things like cutting expenses drastically, and borrowing from family for those things we couldn't eliminate.  And we had many conversations about our options, including the possibility of our having to move if it got to the point that we couldn't make our house payment. 

Now, I don't pay the bills in our house.  The way we've divvied up the household tasks, paying the bills became his duty.  So even though I knew times were hard, he was well aware every time our checking dipped dangerously.  He had to ride the wave of income and outgo more than I did.   I would just ask him, "Can we afford such-and-such right now?" and he'd let me know if it was a good time for it. 

So we were discussing this the other day.  I thanked him for taking care of all of us, for being proactive and thoughtful in managing our expenses.  And he said something like, "you're welcome" or "no problem" or something, but then he said the something sweet.  He said, "I guess if you guys didn't have to worry, then I must have been doing my job."

I'm sure he worried.  Life is like that.  No matter how hard we try to trust in God, worry knocks on the door, and we have to send it packing.  Sometimes several times a day.  But while I worried once in awhile, he probably worried once in a.... smaller while.  And it touched me to think that, in a way, he had worried for me.  He had kept it to himself any time he was worried, taking it to God, until God brought him the peace he needed. 

God wants us to be like that.  Not worried.  Letting Him handle the future, the way I trusted the Apple of my Eye to make necessary decisions, with my input if he wanted it.  Whereas, with God, we hold back our trust, and give lots of input! 

I love today's verse, for the word "cast".  The word "cast" means to throw something forcefully.  God wants us to fling our worries at Him, and then trust Him completely.

Because He cares about us!

~ "Humble yourselves 

under the mighty hand of God, 

that He may exalt you in due time, 

casting all your care upon Him, 

for He cares for you" ~

1 Peter 5:6-7