All Your Troubles

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.

An elder was finding crumpled-up pieces of paper in the same rear pew after Sunday morning worship services. They each contained pencilled words, like a grocery list; i.e., Clara – ill; Lester – job; rent.

He watched, and discovered that a woman sat in that particular pew: middle-aged, plain but kind-faced, unassuming. He passed this information along to the minister, who met with the woman following the next Sunday's worship service.

He gently enquired about the notes and whether they had any meaning for the church. Tears welled up in her eyes. She said that she had seen a sign saying, "Take your troubles to church and leave them there," so she wrote down her troubles during the week and left them in church on Sunday mornings: she felt that God was taking care of them.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your presence, especially in our time of need. Help us to leave our fears with you. May we start each day as a new beginning. In Jesus' name. Amen.