The mental shelf

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find that life can be a little overwhelming. Sometimes I can find myself juggling so much that I don’t have the mental or emotional capacity to deal with it. Or something so huge comes in that I have no idea how to deal with it (more so when I was a child). What used to happen to those things, the things that were just to much, was they would get ‘shelved’. Like some people do with things in their houses they don’t want to deal with right now -it gets put in a drawer or on a shelf for later. Except it was a metaphorical shelf in my head, and I was never very good at coming back to sort it…

The problem with this approach is that even a metaphorical shelf can end up holding too much and collapse. Suddenly, you don’t have the choice of ‘dealing with it later’ (or ignoring it…) In fact, you have to deal with quite a lot all at once! I once told someone about this shelf, and their response was, “let the Carpenter take care of the shelf.”

That was some very wise advice. Jesus, a carpenter before he started his travelling ministry, would of course be able to handle anything and everything I would and had put on the shelf. And the bible doesn’t say, “pile all your cares on oneside because God isn’t interested.” No, it specifically says the opposite.

Psalm 52: 22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” 1 Peter 5: 7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares.”

Speaking from experience, it can be easier said than done. Partly, it may be a journey to believe that God actually does care about your cares and worries, big and small, because God does actually care about you. He doesn’t role his eyes and give an exasperated sigh when you start to pray. He genuinely cares for you and listens when you give him the things that are on your mind.

Another part that might make it hard is the stubborn voice inside telling you that you don’t need any help. Thanks very much God, but you can take a day off, I’ve got this. Sort of. Kind of. And in part you might – but it is much better to share it with God in case it gets bigger and out of hand, or in case something unexpected comes along. And God just wants to do life with you. Good and bad, big and small. Let Jesus help.

Maybe it’s hard because you are doing what you’ve always done. That’s ok, write one of the bible verses mentioned above somewhere to remind yourself that just because you’ve always done it alone previously, you don’t have to do it that way going forwards.

So if you have a mental shelf (or an equivalent), don’t wait for it to collapse – let the Carpenter who Cares help take care of it now.