Give it all to God

"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."  James 1:6

A young woman almost 8 months pregnant walks into a doctor's office for her regular appointment. After what appears to be routine blood work and ultrasound, the doctor tells her she is sending her for another test with a specialist.  The doctor has spotted what he believes to be a hole in her baby's heart and is a sign of Down Syndrome.  Over the next week, more tests are performed and even the specialist could not say for sure what she saw.  The doctor goes over all the scenarios and even the "challenges" of raising a baby with Down Syndrome.
The young woman and her husband do the only thing they know to do.  They pray.  This young woman bows herself before the Lord, begging Him to take care of her baby, no matter the result.  She already loves this baby no matter what health issues it may have.  This young mother-to-be freely gives her worry and anxiety away to the Lord.  She cries out for God to take away her worry, to not allow the devil to steal her joy over this baby, and to allow her to spend the rest of her life loving this baby.  She believes in the Lord.  She trusts the Lord.  She gives away her worry and leaves it at the altar of the Lord.
This young mother-to-be was me.  I cannot tell you that I knew that my baby girl would be fine, but I can tell you I knew that my God would take care of her.  My husband and I did the only thing we knew to do with all certainty --- give our fears and anxiety to the Lord.  For the rest of my pregnancy, I did not worry over those tests, over what my baby may or may not have, or even if we could care for a baby with Down Syndrome.  My God gave us joy and allowed us to spend the rest of my pregnancy in excited anticipation of our baby girl's arrival.
Were the doctors wrong?  Was there no hole in her heart?  Or did God work a miracle?  I can tell you that the doctors blamed refractions in the picture and every other possible malfunction of equipment and not one of them proclaimed a miracle.  But I can tell you that I believe God worked it all out for His good!  I didn't need my baby's birth to be proclaimed as a miracle in order for it to be special.  I just needed the Joy of the Lord and His unwavering love for me!
So when life hands you a burden that seems unbearable or when worry takes over, take it all to the Lord.  Take it and leave it at the altar.  You must not just take it to Him but leave it there.  He cannot bear it for you if you still try to keep it to worry over.  He wants to take it from you.  He wants to give you joy even in what seems like the darkest places, but you must give it all to Him.  When you do that, you may see miracles, but you will most definitely see the Hand of God and His unfailing Love for you!

Dear Lord, I pray that those who are walking in dark paths of worry and doubt will come to you with their fears and worries, that they will not only bring them to you but that they will leave them with you.  I pray that more and more of us will truly place our trust in you by giving our burdens to you.  Thank you for taking our burdens and replacing them with joy and love and grace.  Amen