The Blessing of Burden Casting
Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.
It was late in the evening. Steve had already collapsed into bed. I tried to join him, but my mind and heart kept racing. I didn’t feel like I was struggling with anxiety or necessarily worried about anything. So, I asked, “God, what is going on?”
I grabbed a glass of milk and went to the living room. The fireplace filled the living room with a warm glow and an invitation to sit in the stillness. So, I grabbed a fuzzy blanket, wrapped it around my shoulders, and sunk into the couch. Entranced by the dance of the flames, I asked again, “God, what is going on?”
Then God reminded me of a story called The Trouble Tree.
The carpenter who was hired to help a man restore an old farmhouse had just finished his first day on the job, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. First of all, on his way to work, he had a flat tire that cost him an hour’s worth of pay, then his electric saw broke, and after work, his old pickup truck refused to start.
His new boss volunteered to give him a lift home, and the whole way to his house, the carpenter sat in stone silence as he stared out his window. Yet, on arriving, he invited his boss in for a few minutes to meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When he opened the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was one big smile as he hugged his two small children and kissed his wife.
Afterward, the man walked his boss to his car to thank him. On their way out of the house, the boss’s curiosity got the best of him, so he had to ask the man about the tree on the front porch. He said, I noticed when you came upon the porch before going into your house, you stopped and touched the tree. Why?
“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t stop from having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure – my troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. So, I hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again.”
“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, they aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”
As my mind replayed the story, I felt like God was stirring my heart. And in the stirring, He revealed I had not been casting my burdens on Him. Instead, I was burying them. This act of burying my concerns was causing feelings of anxiety to force their way up through the surface of my soul.
Have you ever been there? You think you are handling life reasonably well, but in reality, you are shoving down the doubts and fears.
I am grateful that God accepts us where we are but loves us too much to leave us there. He knows how worry and anxiety can damage our bodies, soul, and spirit. That is why He tells us to cast our cares on Him because He cares.
I love the visual of a trouble tree. But what I love even more is that when I cast my burdens on Christ, He can miraculously transform my anxious heart into a heart at rest. And that is precisely what happened. “God, show me what burdens I have buried?”
One by one, He revealed hidden worries. And one by one, I cast my burdens, not on a tree, but on the One who hung on a tree for me.
In these days of uncertainty, I applaud you for being brave and faithful to hold tight to the Father and His faithfulness. But just in case you feel a bit restless in your soul, maybe God is inviting you to do some burden casting. You can trust Him, for He cares for you.
Lynda Roersma
Thank you! Good thoughts here. We do crave true peace of mind and the opportunity to cast our cares on Christ who welcomes carrying them instead of carrying it all ourselves. This is a wonderful visual to reflect on today.
Evelyn Sherwood
Lynda, I am such a visual learning, stories like this one help me remember important truths. Letting go of burdens is a daily struggle, so I revisit this story often.
Janet Barnett
What a beautiful reminder that we don’t have to carry our burdens on our own. We don’t have to bury them…and we don’t have to carry them. Thank you.
Evelyn Sherwood
Janet, it’s so easy to rush through life, ignoring the buried burdens, and in so doing, we neglect the critical work of our souls. But I am learning the value of facing them head on at the feet of Jesus. Oh the freedom!
Mechele Buckels
Thank you. This is what I needed today. It’s been a rough week. I have a heavy burden. I know I can take it to God but I pick it back up instead of leaving it at the feet of Jesus. Please pray for healing in this situation with my family. Things happened that shouldn’t, words were said, feelings were hurt and as usual I don’t defend myself, I back down and take the verbal abuse. Please pray for my situation, for healing. God bless you. You are such an inspiration to so many.
Evelyn Sherwood
Oh Mechele, I understand. Praying for you right now.