A Worry Box

This post came from The Pursuit. (you can read another one from that website here) It was originally posted on August 3, 2011. Used by permission--thanks, Ariel!

Hey Girls!

Ahh...the summer is counting down! Well, hopefully you're all enjoying it.

Anyway, I was on vacation with my family at a Christian family camp in NH. It's absolutely beautiful and refreshing. They have activities for the teens, and one day they split up the guys and girls and had devotions. Most of what they talked about was the same old stuff you hear all the time. But one thing struck me: our leader was talking about anxieties and worries and how they don't honor God. She said that she has something called a Worry Box. Let me explain.

Nope! You don't have to be fancy.

She keeps a small, decorated box on her desk with a particular Scripture that comforts her written on the outside (for instance Matt. 6:25-34). She keeps a pen and paper inside it. Whenever she becomes worried, anxious or stressed out, she writes the issue down and puts it inside the box. By doing so, she gives each concern to God and trusts Him with the result. After that, she doesn't allow herself to worry about that issue. Instead, she simply reminds herself that it is already in God's hands.

I love this idea! But what if I expanded that idea to something called My Thought Box. You see, I also struggle with worrying, but my bigger problem is my thought life. I am constantly fighting a battle to think pure thoughts and not let the Devil speak lies into my mind. So, for me, writing down anything I'm struggling with in my mind and putting that in a box (i.e., visually handing it to God), would be even better!

This is by no means a magic fix. And there is certainly nothing wrong with simply praying or journaling about your concerns...I do this as well. But for those like me who are very visual, this can be a great way to hand over worries and concerns to God. I can't wait to try it!

Megan

Megan Brainerd, from New York, is a busy nursing student who loves to hang out with her friends, read, and play the piano :) Her email is piano93+@+verizon.+net. (take out the "+'s" to email her)