Casting your Cares

As you know, two of our children are adopted from Liberia, West Africa. You also know if you have been reading here that we homeschool them and are planning to add the other children next school year. For the past couple of weeks we have been studying about humanitarians in the history of the US and some of those people include former slaves. Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are two examples.

About 6 months ago we learned that our nine year old son from Liberia has been desperately worried that at some point someone is going to take him from us and make him a slave. He was sobbing and heartbroken one night as he shared this with his dad. My husband assured him that this would not happen and that slavery is illegal now. Fast forward to two days ago with a little background. My son has a hard time with writing assignments. They frustrate him and getting his thoughts down is hard. We keep plugging away and he is making progress. The other day he brought me a paper and asked me to read it. It was not an assigned task, just something he wanted to write about.

This is what is said:
"I'm always worrying about what others might think or say. Instead of being a normal kid I am sometimes in constant fear because of all the things I've been through. It is hard to understand why Africans were slaves."

It wasn't very long but I was so proud of him. Proud that he wrote feelings down on his own, proud that he was willing to be vulnerable and so touched that he then wanted to share them with his dad and me. It breaks my heart that he worries so much. I don't want him to go through life carrying that heavy burden. I do look at this an opportunity though to pray with him and help him learn where to cast his cares. I too am a worrier and have spent so much time over and over giving my cares back to Jesus. Giving Him my burdens. Not letting everything rest on my shoulders. My shoulders simply are not big enough and were not made for that.

So today I say to any of you who have burdens. Cast your cares on Him. Let Him give you solutions and rest. What do you have to lose? 50 or 60 pounds of baggage? Your shoulders will thank you. Your heart will too.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord; And He shall sustain you...