The Risk of Carrying it All

While sorting my notes on The Shepherd of Hermas, I came across this passage,

Just as elderly people, hopeless of renewing their youth, expect only to sleep, so you, weakened by worldly affairs, surrendered to lamentation and didn’t cast your worries on God. Your spirit was crushed, and you were aged by your griefs.

The Shepherd of Hermas

This feels like a good reminder to trust God in everything, both in good times and bad.

We are not only called to cast our worries upon Him, but also to allow Him to guide and strengthen us when our spirit feels crushed by grief. I also like the image of worry ageing us. We know how heavily stress and anxiety can weigh on both mind and body. Trusting God does not mean our struggles disappear, but that we do not have to carry their weight alone.