The God Box

Wisdom of the Wounded

Phillipians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Do not be anxious, Karen! That is easier said than done. I am anxious about many things. How does one cast all her anxiety on God? Anne Lamont in her book, Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers gives us a way to do this.

Anne writes, “I’ve used for twenty-five years a God box. This box can be a pillbox, your car’s glove box, or a decorated box. On a note, I write down the name of the person about whom I am so distressed or angry, or describe the situation that is killing me, and I fold the note up, stick it in the box and close it.

You might have a brief moment of prayer and acknowledge to God that you are turning this person or issue over to him. ‘Here it is, God, please do something about this situation or that person.’ Then I agree to keep my sticky mitts off the spaceship until I hear back.

The willingness to do such a childish thing comes from the pain of not being able to let go of something. We learn through pain that some of the things we thought were castles turn out to be prisons, and we desperately want out, but even though we build them, we can’t find the door. Yet maybe if you ask God for help in knowing which direction to face, you’ll have a moment of intuition. Maybe you’ll see at least one next right step you can take.

The response probably won’t be from God, in the sense of hearing a deep grandfatherly voice. But the mail will come, or an e-mail, or the phone will ring. You will hear back.”

Yes, oftentimes, when I give my worries over to God, I do “hear back.” Sometimes it’s as simple as a thought popping into my head on how to proceed.

Lord help us to give you our anxieties, and leave them with you, and wait for your answer. Amen

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