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At (in)courage, we empower women to be like Jesus. Our writers share what’s going on in their life and how God’s right in the middle of it. They bring their joys & struggles so that you can feel less alone and be empowered by the hope Jesus gives.

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things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Amen, Mary! May we love better by trusting The One in control Who is always present more & more! Blessings!

  2. When I was teaching our teenage girls to drive, especially the first one, I remember the extreme anxiety and I really remember biting my nails, and I wasn’t even a regular nail biter. Then I told myself, God is watching over her, and I don’t think He’s biting His nails over these driving lessons. It comforted me to think of Him not fretting and it gave me a sense of calm that made the job much easier to continue.

  3. Well said. Thank you for this, Mary. It’s a helpful visual to think of trusting God as though our loved ones were physically encapsulated with His protection and love just as they truly are in an unseen way.

  4. I love the visual of trust being like a life jacket! “Because when we trust God with those we love, not only are we relieved of the anxiety that comes from worrying and attempting to control their lives, but we are actually able to love them better.” Two of my kids are driving now. I’m learning to let God be their life jacket out on the roads and trust God for their well-being and safety.

  5. Thank you so much for this timely sharing. My husband has had Covid and pneumonia for the past month. He was hospitalized during the onset as he was so sick. This has been a trial by fire for both of us. I also had Covid at the same time.
    The first three weeks of his illness, I prayed along with a host of dear friends and family. God pulled him through the crisis. I hung on to every breath he breathed and every time the horrendous cough wracked his body. God’s “life jacket” around him was tight.
    However, I kept trying to take off my “life jacket” to scurry around doing everything to heal him. I am still trying to do everything to control the outcome.
    Thank you, Mary, for sharing this wonderful visual of God’s life jacket around each one of us. And God’s life jackets are custom made!

  6. I was reading a book and the one of the characters was asked what her first memory of God was. Not, what you did in regards to God (ie. prayed for forgiveness). But of who God is or his character. As I thought for a moment, a memory returned. When I was about 10 missionary friends of our family gave us the news that the wife had breast cancer. I, along with hundreds of others prayed for healing. After all, my young mind thot, who deserved healing more than a missionary? Well, God chose to take her home. Fast forward to today. I, too am a fixer, “take care of” everyone, notice what people might need and am a personal life saver. Lots of things have happened and I have learned to trust God’s love and care, BUT I think my fixer mentality came out of my childish belief that God didn’t take care of that situation, so I ’d better take care of whatever I can because he might not again. I was gobsmaked by that realization. I’m afraid it hasn’t radically changed my fix it-ness but being aware can take some of the compulsion out of it as well as my ability to let go of things I have no control over. So what is your first memory of who God is? How has it affected your life?

  7. Thank you Mary, for this great article! As the mom of a college freshman and new “empty nester”, this really spoke to my heart and was just what I needed!

  8. Thank you for this. Praise God! I need to trust God with those I love, not seeking to control things. I need to stop holding on so tightly, to let go and let God.

  9. Mary,

    Pastor Steven Furtick says “Worry is when I start with my situation. Instead of starting you meditation with your situation start with your source.” “Worship is worry in reverse.” We need to learn to trust God with those we love. Pray to Him & see how He can handle the situation better than you can imagine.

    Blessings 🙂