Dog Tired
Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
Have you ever felt too tired to move? I know that I have! Getting ready for my recent wedding was exhausting. After, I slept well and napped for a long time. The time with friends and family was absolutely wonderful and I would not have changed a thing. It was a good tired and I recovered. Susanna Foth Aughtmon (Mornings with Jesus) shares a great story about her worn-out little dog (who taught her a valuable lesson).
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Our Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix loves to play ball. Throw Flash a tennis ball and he would play for hours if he could. On afternoon, a neighbor threw the ball with him for over an hour. Flash could not stop running after retrieving it. Something innate within him compels him to get the ball and bring it back to the thrower, no matter where it goes or how tired he gets.
The next day, Flash was so sore and exhausted that he couldn’t even jump up on the couch to nap. He’d worn himself out the day before chasing after a tennis ball. I had to lift his little body onto his pillow so he could rest and recover.
I’m a whole lot like Flash when it comes to my worries. I just can’t stop; I won’t let them go. I try to meditate on good thoughts but I always bring back my worries. I play them over and over in my mind. I map out plans about how to fix them. I talk about them with my friends. I wear myself out with them until I make myself dog-tired.
Jesus invites me to cast my anxiety on Him. He catches any worries life throws my way. He is the One with the power to heal my worried mind. He has the strength and the resources to meet my need, answer my every prayer, and build hope in my heart.
I need not worry—unlike Flash and me, Jesus never grows weary.
FAITH STEP: Turn your worry list into your prayer list. Write down everything you are worried about, pray about each one, and ask Jesus to take care of it.
Heavenly Father, thank You for never sleeping or getting dog-tired. Help us to let go of our worries and give them over to You. Amen.