By Muriel Larson
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“Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)
We lived on the highest ridge in the scenic southwestern section of Wisconsin. One day I headed to town to run some errands. The beautiful sunshiny day lifted my spirit as I drove toward the asphalt road that led to town. But as I headed down the steep hill I saw clouds blanketing the land below.
Shifting into second gear and cutting on my lights, I prayerfully continued on. It was pea-soup fog all the way down. In comparison to the ridge above, the town below looked dreary indeed
Returning home, when I got near the top I broke through the cloudbank into the golden rays of the sun.
When you’re under the clouds in the lowland, I thought, things look dreary indeed. But above the clouds the light restores your spirit.
That’s just the way it is in life, isn’t it! When we’re going through trials, things tend to look gloomy and depressing. How long will this go on?, we wonder. What’s going to happen? And while we’re asking that question, we’re imagining the gloomiest scenario possible!
It goes just as my trip down to town did:
* Life seems to be going quite smoothly–and then we hit the clouds. As Christians, however, we have some great resources. As I went toward that cloudbank, I shifted gears and put on the lights. So when we see trouble coming, or we start going through it, we can “shift gears” and “put on the light.” We can switch to “prayer mode,” and really start talking to our Lord who is the Light! And He can bring us through.
* When I went down into that cloudbank, I knew the visibility would be poor and I had better keep my eye on the road. I knew also that I would be returning to the beautiful sunshiny day. So it is with trials. If we face the fact that we have to go through them, we can trust God’s promise that He will work everything for our good. But if we become angry, bitter, and resentful, we’ll be miserable. Yet if we keep looking to our Lord and depending on Him, we will know that above the clouds the sun is shining–and this trial will pass.
Dear Lord, help me to keep on trusting you, no matter what!
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Question: What anxiety have you experienced lately, or are you experiencing right now?
About this Author: Dr. Muriel Larson
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