Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden. Corrie ten Boom
For whatever reason when I read this quote recently (I've read it before but it was re-introduced a few months back) I was struck with the simple truth of it. If the matter is too small to pray about then why have I made it into this large load I'm now hauling around with me? It's either a burden or it's not. It's my choice. And if it's a burden then I'm better off laying it down at the feet of my Savior to pick up rather than trying to carry it with me. If I have dismissed something as not worth spending time in prayer about then I should carry over that value and consider it not worth carrying around either!
I attach value to things - God does not. I categorize my concerns and try to take care of the small ones by myself lest I "bother" God with such piddly matters. Perhaps I think I'm doing him a favor by not bothering him with what I deem small and saving just the big stuff for him. Funny because God doesn't see it that way and he doesn't categorize my concerns and he doesn't wonder why I'm bothering him with something so trivial. Nothing is trivial to the One who has weaved himself into all of the corners of my life. He is concerned with ALL the details not just the ones I think he should be "bothered" with.
So I've been thinking about this quote from ten Boom off and on for a few months now and I'm trying to be mindful of the things I take to God in prayer and if I don't feel like praying about it then I've been working on not picking it up and getting weighed down by it either. Some things I just have to learn to let go - they really aren't a big deal but a lot of things I have to learn to give to God and not feel silly about doing so or not feel bad that I feel concerned about something that seems small or not feel like I am bothering the One who lives in me. The truth is I can, and should, take everything to him - he wants it, he wants to hear from me, he wants me to communicate to him the things that prick my heart with concern. He has always communicated that to me, it is my issue that I feel silly in going to him. I said it above but I have to say it again because the truth of it is too good to not end with. Nothing is trivial to the One who has weaved himself into all of the corners of my life...and yours.
For whatever reason when I read this quote recently (I've read it before but it was re-introduced a few months back) I was struck with the simple truth of it. If the matter is too small to pray about then why have I made it into this large load I'm now hauling around with me? It's either a burden or it's not. It's my choice. And if it's a burden then I'm better off laying it down at the feet of my Savior to pick up rather than trying to carry it with me. If I have dismissed something as not worth spending time in prayer about then I should carry over that value and consider it not worth carrying around either!
I attach value to things - God does not. I categorize my concerns and try to take care of the small ones by myself lest I "bother" God with such piddly matters. Perhaps I think I'm doing him a favor by not bothering him with what I deem small and saving just the big stuff for him. Funny because God doesn't see it that way and he doesn't categorize my concerns and he doesn't wonder why I'm bothering him with something so trivial. Nothing is trivial to the One who has weaved himself into all of the corners of my life. He is concerned with ALL the details not just the ones I think he should be "bothered" with.
So I've been thinking about this quote from ten Boom off and on for a few months now and I'm trying to be mindful of the things I take to God in prayer and if I don't feel like praying about it then I've been working on not picking it up and getting weighed down by it either. Some things I just have to learn to let go - they really aren't a big deal but a lot of things I have to learn to give to God and not feel silly about doing so or not feel bad that I feel concerned about something that seems small or not feel like I am bothering the One who lives in me. The truth is I can, and should, take everything to him - he wants it, he wants to hear from me, he wants me to communicate to him the things that prick my heart with concern. He has always communicated that to me, it is my issue that I feel silly in going to him. I said it above but I have to say it again because the truth of it is too good to not end with. Nothing is trivial to the One who has weaved himself into all of the corners of my life...and yours.
Comments
Post a Comment