You have seen me tossing and turning
through the night.
You have collected all my tears
and preserved them in Your bottle!
You have recorded every one in Your book.
Psalm 56:8 TLB
My wrinkled, soiled envelope dated June 27, 1976 is still sealed. I haven’t opened it since that midnight hour when I, sobbing, wrote God and told Him all about this problem that had broken my heart. You know, I have several “problem” envelopes, but God has my problems’the envelopes are my conclusive evidence.
Very often I talk with someone who is having problems’big or little’and I will tell them, “Read Chapter Eight of my book, The Confident Woman1, do exactly what it tells you to do and I promise you, you’ll find relief.” How can I be so sure? So positive? Because I’ve been there and I’ve done that. I know!
You may remember the hymn “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.” Well, I tried doing that and somehow it just didn’t work. I’d go down to the altar at the church and go through this “giving” again and again. I was doing the best I could. Sincere. Believing.
Then one day the Lord gave me a simple suggestion. “Anabel, go get a helium balloon and write all your problems on the outside of that balloon. Then hold it up to Me, let it go, and watch Me take those problems into My hands.”
A great suggestion, Lord! I enlarged on His plan just a little and added my instructions to His in that well-read Chapter Eight. Please try it. You know, I have the feeling that my wrinkled 1976 envelope will still be unopened on that blissful day when I’ll be released from my position as Ambassador and head Home. That’s all right. He has it in His hands. I saw Him take it. I trust Him implicitly.
I look at my “problem” envelopes every so often’and dream of what might have been. That’s okay. Dreams and visions motivate us and keep our hearts soft and pliable. But when I know that I have placed those broken dreams in His hands, I can rest. There are always some tears, but He’ll put them in His bottle and keep count.
1. This book may be purchased through your bookstore or our online store at http://shop.lifetime.org.