One of my least favorite responsibilities in my family is making the summer plans and buying plane tickets.  It used to be simple when my kids were little, involving one trip to visit my parents.  As the kids got older, I first had to consider the timing of which summer camps they wanted to go to, then their sports schedules; now I must add summer jobs, classes, and internships, mission trips, and other opportunities into the mix.  There are so many moving parts that all depend on something else, yet I still need to book airline tickets before the prices go up.  It’s like juggling, but not so fun; I find it particularly stressful.  This winter I started the familiar juggling for the upcoming summer, but soon I felt like not only was I managing the usual balls, but that someone had thrown a few bowling pins into the mix.  And then a piano.  I felt the anxiety of keeping all these things aloft twisting my spirit.  But then, God gave me the picture that He knows exactly where everything is going to land.  Even though I still don’t, it is comforting to know He does.  Sometimes I find myself clutching one of those pins again and feel the anxiety clutching at my heart, but I remind myself to breathe, to trust God, and the grip of panic lessens.  My schedule still isn’t planned and there are many details to oversee, but I am at peace about it like never before.  For that I am grateful.

How about you?  What are the things you are juggling that cause you anxiety?  What does it mean to you that God knows where and how all the pieces will fit together?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7