Casting All Your Care Upon Him - Meyer

When my kids were young, we sometimes listened to “Patch, the Pirate” tapes. One of the songs was about a wart hog who always worried and every time he started to worry about something, he would get another “worry-wart”. It was a cute little song that has stuck in my head all these years – along with a hundred other crazy kids’ songs like “The Cat Came Back” and “Another Fancy Dinner by My Mother” (CARAMEL BROCCOLI!!)

Usually the wart hog song pops into my head when I’m worrying about something – which, my husband would tell you is just about all the time! Actually, I think I’ve taken worrying to a new (I won’t say “higher”) level. I don’t just worry about my own problems. I worry about people who live half a world away and I worry about my neighbour next door. I worry about my kids (of course I do!) and now I’ve added in their wives and their families – and of course, my grandkids.
I worry about the town, the province, the country, the world.
I worry about the dog – Is he happy? Is he hungry? Is he bored?
I worry about the birds – Will they still eat the birdseed even though it’s wet from the rain? If I forget to feed them, will they go somewhere else or die of starvation?

Of course, as a writer, there are always a thousand things to worry about. Will the publisher accept my book? If they do, will I like the final product? If I do, will my reader like it? And if my readers like this book, will they like the next one – and the next?
Today, I was checking for some copyright information on a recently published book of mine and I started skimming through the first chapter. I was horrified – had I actually unleashed this book on the world? Worry gnawed away inside of me. Even with super-great endorsements and letters from people who have enjoyed the book, I still worry constantly about those who might hate it – who might hate me.

And I need to remind myself again – and again – and again to cast all my cares upon Him because He cares for me. This verse from the Bible (1 Peter 5:7) is about God. God cares for me. The God of the universe cares for me! And… he cares about the birds (see Matthew 10:29 and N.J.'s post from yesterday!). He cares about the dog (sorry, no verse for that but I figure if he cares about birds, he cares about dogs, too). He for sure cares about my kids and grandkids – and the people who live half a world away!

And because He cares, I don’t have to worry. Repeat after me, all you worriers out there (you know who you are): I don’t have to worry.

"Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Dorene Meyer
Writing about how much God cares for each one of us – Deep Waters (for adults), Colin’s Choice (teens) and Get Lost! (kid’s chapter book) all set in the fictional First Nations community of Rabbit Lake. Available at your local bookstore or directly from the author at http://www.dorenemeyer.com/