Cast Away
They were old fashioned wooden crates, rough and bulky with plenty of splinters. One had to be careful handling them. Each one had the contents within stenciled on the outside in glossy black paint. Shouting, all in capital letters, there was WORK, DOG, COUNTRY, FINANCES, FRIEND’S HEALTH, and the catch-all of EVERYTHING ELSE.
As the days passed, the pile of crates grew, rather than diminish. Eventually, it was painfully obvious that toting around this much required a monumental effort. Something must be done.
Staring at the ceiling during another sleepless night, the answer came in a gentle, loving whisper from the hidden places in her heart.
“…Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you…” I Peter 5:7
She considered the crates for a moment. They were large and cumbersome. This casting business required a determined effort. The very definition of the word is “to throw or hurl; fling,” This was not a simple exercise to merely set the unwanted thing down and walk away – it required intention and a kind of ferocity about it all.
What would happen if she took Him at His word and actually hurled these anxiety-filled crates on Jesus? What next? There was only way to find out.
One by one, she picked them up. “DOUBT” was the first to be thrown down at the feet of her Savior. Winded and relieved that one was out of the way, the others sat mutely now, waiting their turn to be jettisoned. It was peculiar and strangely satisfying how silent these chattering worries had suddenly become in the light of the grace of God. It was if they were trying to hide or be invisible. Was it her imagination, or were the crates each decreasing in size compared to the One standing before her, arms reaching out?
Finally, the last crate had been forcibly evicted from the regions of her mind. There was stillness and peace now. A sense of well-being and hope replaced the repetitious droning of incessant fears.
She watched in awe as the crates were crushed to dust and blown away in a fresh breeze, leaving only her beautiful Savior where the chaos of this world had been only moments before.
“And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ “Revelation 21:5 ESV
Both of these verbs visualize on-going activity – “casting” involves us participating in evaluating and deciding what nonsense to remove from our lives. “Making” reveals that God is perpetually refining and recreating in us according to HIs standards. Every day is a chance to begin again. Let’s go.
Don’t check your baggage – chuck it and watch what happens next.
– RG
