God’s “Stuff” Box

By Stacy LaMorte

I love the saying: “When you’re feeling down, look up!”

Sitting in my hair stylist’s chair one recent Friday afternoon, even with the exciting hair salon smells and sounds buzzing around me, I was feeling down. So, I looked up! Above her cabinet, my stylist had a jute basket with the word “Stuff” neatly printed in black.

My initial thought was, “I wonder what kind of ‘stuff’ Nancy keeps in that basket?” It probably makes her happy that all her odds and ends at work are neatly stored away in one cute little container.

Then, I thought of my “stuff.” What emotional stuff was I holding onto? Kids starting school and all that needs to be done, increasing COVID-19 cases and how this may affect their school year and events, too much technology time in our house, friends who have cancer, the last 10 pounds that I have to lose, paying for college next year.

These were, literally, all the thoughts that were racing through my head as I sat getting ready to have my hair done.

This reminded me of a homily given by a deacon when I lived in Sacramento: he said to pretend that God has an inbox, just like the one you likely have on your desk at work. People deposit things they need you to take care of in that box, and you take care of them.

I imagined putting all my worries into Nancy’s “Stuff” box – only I was imagining it was God’s instead. “Here, Lord. Here is my stuff. I know you don’t want me to worry about it. I know that if I entrust it to you, you will take it away or show me how to proceed. Thank you for ordering my steps and telling me how to handle all of these things one day, one hour, one minute at a time.”

Let’s put our mental odds and ends into God’s stuff box, as well as the really big things. Once we put them in there, we can let them go. We don’t have to micromanage him.

In the Bible, St. Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6.

As I left the salon, my hair wasn’t the only thing that was lighter.