Getting Rid of Worms

The worship leader leaned into the mic and invited all the kids up to the front of the church this morning to sing before they were excused for Sunday School.

The girls drug Prince Charming with them, but he was more interested in taking off his new shoes than singing, so he ended up back with the grown ups as a spectator.

As I settled him into the chair next to me, I heard her announce, "We're going to sing, 'Cast Your Burdens Upon Jesus'. How many of you know this one?"

Instantly, I lifted my head to make eye contact with Oldest Princess and we shared a knowing smile between each other.

She could not have picked a more perfect song, I thought as I looked at my daughter on the stage.

This week my girls will be starting a brand new school. Homeschooling was a wonderful thing for us for a season, but God has opened up a new door and another great opportunity for the girls. I'm excited about it. I see it as an awesome opportunity, but poor Oldest Princess isn't so sure.

The looming unknown is killing her. She's had tummy aches and isn't sleeping well and keeps asking me a million "what if" questions. I've been worried and anxious for her, wishing school would just hurry up and start so she could settle in and stop fretting.

I heard the worship leader ask, "How many of you like to fish?" This time both of the girls perked up. This was definitely an analogy they could relate to!

They raised their hands high in the sky, and I heard Littlest Princess bragging to the kids standing next to her, "I caught a King Salmon" as if that made her more qualified to sing the song than the rest of them.

"Well, I want you to take the things you are worried about and pretend they are worms. OK, now hook those worms onto your hook and cast them upon Jesus to take care of for you. And grown ups, I want you to stand up, too, because I know you have burdens, too."

It was so sweet to watch us all casting our lines of burdens away and on to the Lord's capable shoulders. I began thinking of all the burdens that have weighed me down this summer and decided I wanted to be free from them as well.

After church we took a picnic lunch to the park, and Oldest Princess and I found some time alone. Walking across a bridge, we looked down at the stream flowing below it and talked about how much we both needed that song this morning.

She smiled and said, "Mommy, I hooked ten worms onto my hook."

I asked her what her ten worms of worry were, and she ticked them off one by one on her fingers, "School, school, school..." and then giggled. So right there on that bridge the two of us started singing:

Cast your burdens
Upon Jesus
For He cares for you!

We cast our worries right off the bridge and imagined them washing away down stream. Feeling lighter, we ran from the bridge to the swings, competing to see who could swing the highest as we sang even louder this time.

Higher, higher, higher, higher
Higher, higher, higher, higher
Lift Jesus higher

Lower, lower, lower, lower
Lower, lower, lower, lower
STOMP Satan lower.

It was one of those impromptu moments that will remain a sweet memory for me. It felt so good to be the crazy lady in my church dress swinging and singing at the top of my lungs with my little girl as we released all our cares and worries.

If anything is burdening you today, I hope you'll join Oldest Princess and me. I highly recommend finding the closest swing, hop on, and start singing. Feel the freedom that comes as you cast your burdens upon Jesus and lift Him higher.

Do you have any specific worms on your hook today? You can leave a comment or send me an email and I'd love to pray for you.

Love,

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