Psalm 55:22

Earlier this week, a dear friend sent me a photo that is now very important to me. It is a picture of a mirror covered with bible verses with my friend in that mirror taking the photo with an iPad. It says everything. And everything I've needed to be reminded of this week.

A bible verse has stood out to me this week...and although it isn’t on the mirror...I just verified...I am now seeing it everywhere. Psalm 55:22 has appeared more than once in words shared in a post on Facebook and in one of those memes that people somehow have the ability and time to make so that we can pass them along endlessly through cyberspace. (My only wish is that these folks making them would sometimes run spellcheck or consult a dictionary because the spelling and grammar failure rate is often catastrophic.)

Psalm 55:22 reads, "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." I'm not certain which version this is from or the context of that particular verse in the psalm although I intend to find out. All I know is that it has served as a stunning reminder this week that I do need to pay attention.

So casting your cares apparently does not mean stressing out to the point of tears or wanting to do something foolish, saying the words but not actually letting go, or believing it for five minutes before you go back and begin gathering those cares up again to stress over through a sleepless night. It means cast. Throw. Get rid of. Kind of like taking your cares to the Goodwill of the Universe and leaving them there to be sorted and dealt with. It means to quit rehashing every atom of that difficulty in great detail and sharing it over and over. In your mind. With your loved ones. They only seem to get bigger that way.

There's nothing wrong with asking for prayer in that situation and bringing someone up to speed. But you absolutely cannot go on and on and on and on and on and on about it and expect anything other than drama and continued awfulness.

I am so not a fan of awfulness.

You cast them ON THE LORD meaning that you expect Him to deal with it. You may not like what that will eventually mean, however. You may not even understand it. But you leave that mess at His door and ask Him to make chicken salad out of chicken whatever. (That's a request I used to get from a former boss that still makes me laugh when I think about it.) Let God take your cares and figure out how to orchestrate relief in the circumstance that is going to be for your highest good. You can be mad if you don't like it. I don't like having thunder thighs either. But I do. Primarily because I like food.

If you do this...HE will sustain YOU. Meaning...you don't have to sustain you. HE will do it. You still have to go through the motions of life as we know it but you don't have to do it with this heavy burden on your back that seems impossible... because it is. To you, anyway.

NOTHING is impossible with God. The Bible says so. Case in point: a woman across town just had a baby at age 47 after 18 years of infertility. It was in our local paper. I cannot even imagine the joy. And having to do night feedings at her age. Mercy. She never lost her faith. I'm sure that it was difficult to sustain...but she did.

But back to the verse...my favorite part is this: "He will never let the righteous be shaken." Meaning: You be and are righteous and He has your back.

Oh, you'll be shaken out of some things you need to be...maybe your materialistic self needs to slough that off. Or He may choose to shake your finances so that you'll pay attention to what you have and will be a better steward of it. He may shake some of your false beliefs to the floor about what it really means to be a follower. He may allow you to experience health issues so that you see who your friends really are and who He really is. He may allow you to experience sorrow, pain, or want.

But what is really important...your faith, your connection to Him and your overall sense of well being will not be shaken. He will stand for you. He will sustain you through the rough water. He will give you peace during it.

I needed to be reminded of that this week. I am not particularly good at walking on eggshells or fearing what might happen. I am more of the "rip the bandaid off" kind of person and if left unattended...I can dream up endless scenarios in my mind that will often be misinterpreted as being negative. I'm not a negative person.

I consider it "facing reality." Or at least potential reality. It is at the core...self preservation. And it is a skill set learned when you fear that you have to rely on yourself instead of having the knowledge that you have someone fighting for you. I developed this over years of feeling like I had to take care of myself because I rarely had an advocate. Or so I thought.

You may spend a period of time under the water wondering if you'll be saved. You'll spend a time wandering around the desert hoping you'll be delivered. Or you may even spend some time screaming, "why, why, why?" at the top of your lungs because you truly do not understand.

You just have to know that the righteous will not be shaken. By anyone or anything. By death, sickness, bankruptcy, job loss, infertility, marriage problems, addiction, fear, or exhaustion. Do not fear. Do not give up. Don't stop believing.

Sorry if I just put Steve Perry from Journey in your head. Maybe it will help.

As for me, I'm just taking a day at a time. Expecting miracles and navigating change. Trying to be my best self but not trying to hold the world on my shoulders anymore. That isn't my job. It never was.

Have a great day and may you know that God has your back today. Whatever it is. Wherever you are. Just believe it. Even when it seems like nothing is going your way. Even when you just want to give up and walk away. Even when someone is in your path that you'd love to set up on a blind date with Karma.

Yes, I know I used karma in a post with bible verses. Work with me here. Just trying to lighten it up a little. And because I honestly would like to do that sometimes.

Anyway, just know you're not out there alone struggling with whatever. And as for me...I'll treasure that picture and the sweet friend that sent it to me as well as the memory of the one in it. I really will.