Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Worrying over our grandchildren’s relationship with Jesus has been a recurring theme for me lately. When they were small things seemed pretty simple. We took them to church, prayed with them and at every opportunity made sure they had plenty of cookies. But now they are older things have changed. Some days it feels as if I am slogging through a mud bog, when I try to communicate even the basics of what it means to be a Christian. As I tossed and turned through another middle of the night worry session recently, God’s peace seemed light years away.

Then the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that I wasn’t doing them or myself any good. While I had been trying to overwhelm them with good arguments or coax them towards an interest in Jesus, I was forgetting that ultimately that job is His and that He loves them way more than I do. It is hard to trust God with people who are the closest to us. Yielding control over our spouse, a child a grandchild or a friend means letting God take over. What we really need to do is like what Carrie Underwood sings, “Jesus take the wheel!” We need to release our grip so that God can steer. Jesus won’t rip the steering wheel away from us. He will allow us as many nights as we wish to toss and turn. But if we are worn out with worry and fed up with fear God is waiting and even longing for us to trust that He knows how to fix the situation better than we do. Only He has the strength to carry us our worries and has promised a peace that stretches from our anxious hour all the way to heaven!