Cast all you cares on Him (Jesus) for He cares for you

Some of you have heard this already, but it is so awsome that I couldn't keep it to myself. I want to shout aloud how awesome God is to everyone who will listen.

The story takes up just after "Joy, joy, joy..." post from last week. See, I was supposed to recieve paperwork by Tuesday indicating whether I had made the deadline or not to get a dorm, and whether or not there was room in my prefered Dormatory (White Hall). Well, as of Saturday, I still had not heard and move in dayt was supposed to be Sunday.

Saturday I woke up tired, almost as though I hadn't even slept. The night before I had a highly emotional reaction to the death of the comuter (stupid I know, but I get to be a girl sometimes cuz...well...I'm a girl!). So, I finally pulled myself out of bed and got to working on the house. The efforts had to be cut short though because I needed to get ready for Worship rehersal. I felt like I could fall asleep standing up; I was in a fog.

The only reason I mention all this is to show you my state of mind on Sunday morning. My thoughts were all competing for my attention. "Do I remember the words to that new song?" "Can I make it to my s.brother's baby shower?" "Will they be nice to me?" "I didn't get them a gift...do I have time?" "Where is the wrapping paper?" "Do I have a dorm to move into?" "How am I going to get all my stuff over there?" "How am I going to get this house done?" and many more. So, I grabbed up my journal and started writing to God.

(I have only recently started journaling and I think it has been helpful for me in gaining a better memory and focusing in on thoughts). I asked that God would center me and help me to put aside all my questions and let Him deal with them for me. I asked that He would be in control over every situation and that I would trust that this is the way it should be. I asked that "Laura" would be put aside and that everything about me would be diminished and everything about God, Jesus living in me, would be magnified. I prayed that the worship I offered would be pure, not defiled by thoughts of worry, not half-hearted due to external pressure.

Anyhow, this really seemed to help. My mind really stopped grabbing at different questions and just focused on the church service at hand.

After church was out, my friend Grace asked if I needed help moving into the dorm and that if I did, she had a truck right now and could load my stuff into the back of it. I accepted her help and praised God. I still didn't know if I had a place to move things to, but I figured if God was providing the help, then He had already provided the place! Having the help I would need, I decided to go ahead and go to the baby shower.

Mom reminded me that the was a Babies 'r' Us just down the street that I could shop at for a gift (and it turns out that's where they were registered!). When I finished my shopping, the check out clerk told me that there was a complimentary selfserve wrapping station just before the exit!! HA! More praising! So, after wrapping the gift, I was off to the shower, arriving right on time.

It was nice to see my s.Mom. She is always so exuberant in her greeting me. Everyone was very pleasant and I got to meet some of her family as well as see my s.brother and his fiancee and their son. I was so happy that I got to make it. I did feel at times a little like an outsider, but that may just have been my old shyness creeping in. Anyway, I had to leave a bit early so that I could get everything packed into Grace's truck....so, after many hugs and well wishes, I was off again.

Grace and I arrived at about the same time and she had brought her roommate along as well, so we got the truck loaded in no time flat. She decided to follow me, since she didn't know the way. Everything was going just fine until I made it through a light that she did not. So, I pulled into Burgerville (about a block from campus) and waited for her to catch up. In the meantime, I prayed that God would provide a home for me and if it was possible, to let it be in White Hall. At that very moment, my phone rang. It was Francee, my friend from Flavor. Well, she also happens to be an RA at Multnomah. She was calling me to ask when I was going to get there and that she was so excited that I am going to be in her hall....White Hall!!

I stared crying...girl, I know...I was just so overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude.

After a little bit of unpacking, I set of for the Flavor...late, but very excited. I got there just in time for big group and as we were sitting in the circle, a girlfriend announced that I would be needing help this week. (Big deal Laura, you talked to her, it makes sense that she would speak up....except I hadn't spoken with her about this; yet something prompted her to say something. Personally, I think that that something was actually a Someone). People started offering to come and asking for directions. Praise God!

I could sit here and tell you many things, but I am going to stick to the main thought. If we give up our cares to Him (Jesus) He will care for us....He will take care of it. I'm not making this stuff up. I wrote down all my questions from Sunday morning into my little book, and by Sunday night...after giving them all up to God...He answered every single one of them. I feel so blessed to be loved by such a wonderful God, to be a servant in His house, and to be a bearer of His name.

So, if you are facing trials and situations that you have no idea what to do with, I want to encourage you to let God take them over. Focus on Him and serving Him and loving Him, and let Him have control. Let loose your tightening grip. Let blood flow back into your "spiritual" knuckles.

God bless you! Thank you for your prayers!