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What’s in Your Buggy? – Julie Jones
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What's in Your Buggy?

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22

I set down my cup of coffee and smiled. Squeak . . . pause . . . squeak . . . pause . . . squeak . . . I heard my three-year-old come down the hall.

Each morning my oldest daughter rolls a plastic toy grocery cart from her bedroom, filled with all sorts of her things. Every night, she rolls the same cart back where it rests by her big-girl bed until morning. What’s in the cart? There’s an orange Little Tykes lantern, a pink baby doll, one of her younger sister’s yellow shoes, and three books: Curious George, Pat Conroy’s My Reading Life, and a book for writers full of inspiring pictures. Only one of those books is actually hers. Tonight as I adjusted her cart’s position by the bed, I smiled as I looked at its contents. Things so simple and random to me are so very precious to her.

It made me think of all I carry with me. The job applications (for which the phone isn’t ringing), my mother-in-law in the hospital, what to cook the children for dinner, and how to get laundry done by a reasonable bedtime hour. Some of these are so much bigger than the others, but still I carry them all.

Do my concerns look to God as my daughter’s cart looks to me? Many times we carry our worries and concerns around with us as we go throughout our day, seemingly so important that we do not realize how they slow us down or take our attention from the blessings around us.

God commands us to cast our cares on Him; to give our concerns to the Lord. If we do, He will take care of us. If we can let go, He will keep us steady and strong.

Cast what you carry on Him. He will see you through.

Julie P. Jones, PhD is an educator in Spartanburg, SC. She received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in 2009 from Clemson University, a Master of Education in Administration from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Education from Converse College. She maintains an active research agenda that includes both practitioner and family-oriented articles. Julie is married with two daughters.
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Proving Faithfulness – Julie P. Jones, PhD
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Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)

My husband tells me he wouldn’t have stopped had the dog not been on his side of the busy intersection. He has a heart for animals, but isn’t one to veer from his schedule. Unless, that is, a tiny collared dog is running amongst traffic on a Thursday afternoon. He pulled over in the parking lot of a corner gas station to pick him up. At the time we thought it might be a Shih tzu. I’m highly allergic to furry animals and our children’s caregiver agreed to keep the pup while we actively looked for an owner.

Sandra had the best time with Peanut. All weekend she and her husband, a local youth minister, toted the pup around. It sat in the car on rides, barked to go out for potty, and was quite picky about meals – weanies, not dog food. By Tuesday afternoon, “Lost!” signs had appeared on telephone poles.

The call came and a meeting was arranged to return the dog to its home. The elated owners tried to give us a reward for the dog, who turned out to be a Yorki. Sandra and her husband tried to turn them down, expressing how glad they were to have helped. The couple insisted and a sealed envelope was carried away. Sandra told the owners she would put the funds toward the youth at their church, and thanked them. It wasn’t until they were halfway home that the plain white envelope was opened, revealing $500 cash. Such a large amount was tempting to keep, but Sandra and her husband proved faithful and kept their word, donating it to the youth group as promised.

God often provides us with opportunities to prove our faithfulness. Some think of these occasions as tests. Has God ever provided you with more than you needed? Share the goodness of God’s provision and be blessed more than you can imagine. Each day in our lives is important. Every moment is a chance to mature as a believer and demonstrate that devotion to others.

What will you do when given such an opportunity again?

Julie P. Jones, PhD is an educator in Spartanburg, SC. She received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in 2009 from Clemson University, a Master of Education in Administration from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Education from Converse College. She maintains an active research agenda that includes both practitioner and family-oriented articles. Julie is married with two daughters.
Read Julie’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!