Cast all your anxiety on [God], because he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7

There’s a story behind the little machine nut I carried in my pocket. Long ago, I endured a particularly fierce trial over conflicts at work. I found refuge that Saturday, in my home, repairing a lamp. To avoid losing the tiny fastener until I could get to the hardware store and buy another, I slipped it onto my key ring for safekeeping.  The next morning at church, our pastor preached on trusting our God in times of trial. It was just the message I needed. He suggested using a mental cue, some material object, as a reminder to lean on God in difficult times. 

Some time later while at work I stood listening with hands in my pockets, in turmoil and frustrated, I felt the tiny nut on my key ring. I resolved to use it as a reminder to trust God, no matter what. It has remained there since, its edges worn smooth by years of my handling it, a constant reminder that God cares. When life got rough I would reach into my pocket and give that nut a spin with my thumb, motivated all over again to trust God. And God has never failed me.

Lord forgive us when we fail to trust you.  Remind us that your good plansbfor our lives will come to pass no matter what.  Amen