June 21, 2021: Anything and Everything

“Pray about everything” (Phil. 4:6, TLB).

I grew up in a missionary family, so we moved several times. The hardest part for me was getting attached to a country, and then having to leave it. My most challenging move was my Dad’s call to serve at the General Conference in Maryland. That meant I had to leave South Africa. But all of my favorite things were there! My home, friends, delicious food.

When we arrived to the United States, I was even more sad because we didn’t have a house, and I encountered people who were not particularly friendly to me. I did not understand why God would allow me to leave South Africa—where my true home and true friends were. Discouraged, I started to wonder if He had my best interest in mind after all.

Fortunately, during one of my gloomy days, I came across these Bible verses in my daily devotional: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7, TLB).

I found comfort in these verses, and, even though the challenges did not immediately disappear, my first instinct now was to pray. When we pray, we are reminded of God’s mighty hand at work in our lives, and we experience an incomprehensible peace. We don’t always understand the steps in our journey, but God, who sees the bigger picture, knows that they lead to His glory and our well-being.

Heavenly Father, thank You that I can pray to You about anything and everything. Amen.

Tania Moorooven is a 2020 graduate of Shenandoah Valley Academy in Virginia.