Let It Go

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (I Peter 5:6-7)  We are concluding our Eastertide look at I Peter this week.  And this being the final Sunday before Pentecost, it is also the time in which we recognize one of the most overlooked doctrines of the Church: our Lord’s ascension.  Christ’s bodily return to his Father puts us in mind of a number of important things, not least of which is this: even now, even here, Jesus is praying for you and me.  Allow that to sink in for a moment.  There is never a time in which our Lord does not seek our best.  I do not know about you, but my anxiety level is in direct relation to how well I can keep that wonderful truth front and center.  My tendency is not to give away my anxiety, but carefully to nurture it by acting as if all the good and important things really rely upon my efforts.  Yet, here is I Peter with a glorious command to let it all go.  Let the one who loves you best take all the things that you cannot fix anyway.  He really does care for you, you know.  Keep that front and center and maybe even share that good news with someone else who may be anxious and worried.