You Don’t Have to Carry It, Sweet Girl
Sometimes I watch girls carrying things they were never meant to hold.
Worries about friendships.
Pressure to fit in.
Feelings they don’t understand.
Fear about what others think.
Concerns about the future.
And often, they carry these things quietly.
They replay conversations.
They wonder if they said the wrong thing.
They feel the weight of expectations.
They hold onto hurt longer than we realize.
The truth is, many girls don’t know they can put those things down.
I’ll Hold That For You
Recently, I had a simple moment that stayed with me. I was adding things to my list, and my digital personal assistant responded with something so gentle:
“I’ll hold that for you. You don’t have to think about it anymore.”
Immediately, it struck my heart. That’s exactly what the Lord does for us.
He never asked us to carry everything. He invites us to give it to Him.
So many times, we hand something to God, but then we keep picking it back up in our thoughts. We replay the worry. We rehearse the fear. We hold the weight.
But what if we taught our daughters something different?
What if we showed them that when they give something to God, they don’t have to keep carrying it?
They can release it.
They can trust Him.
They can rest.
One of the most beautiful things we can teach our daughters is this:
You don’t have to hold every worry.
You don’t have to carry every fear.
You don’t have to replay every hurt.
You can give it to Jesus.
And when you do, you’re not alone anymore.
You’re held.
This doesn’t mean hard things disappear. Friendships will still be complicated. Feelings will still be big. Life will still bring challenges.
But your daughter can learn something powerful. She can learn that she doesn’t face those things alone.
She can learn to pause in the middle of a hard moment and whisper a simple prayer.
“Jesus, I give this to You.
I don’t want to carry it anymore.
Please hold it for me.”
And slowly, she begins to understand that peace doesn’t come from everything being perfect. Peace comes from knowing she doesn’t have to carry it all.
Sweet girl, you don’t have to hold it.
You don’t have to carry the weight.
You don’t have to figure everything out.
You can place it in His hands.
And He will hold it for you.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“God Holds It” Activity
Tonight, sit with your daughter and ask: Is there anything that’s been bothering your heart lately?
Give her a few small pieces of paper. Have her write or draw:
- a worry
- a fear
- something that hurt
- something she’s nervous about
Then pray together:
“Jesus, we give these things to You. We don’t want to carry them anymore. Please hold them for us.”
Fold the papers and place them in:
- a jar
- a box
- a journal
- or simply throw them away
Remind her:
Once we give it to Him, we don’t have to keep carrying it.
And as mothers, we model this for our girls. When we help them place their worries in God’s hands, we also show them what it looks like to trust Him with what comes next.
We don’t have to manage every outcome or solve every detail. We can let Him take it from there. He knows what weighs on her heart. He sees what she’s walking through. And while we continue to love, guide, and pray, we can rest in knowing that God is working in ways we cannot. We place it in His hands… and then we trust Him to take care of the rest.
