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Looking at this picture makes me think of Bobby McFerrin’s song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The Garden of the Gods is my happy place. There’s nothing majestic about this picture, nothing that says I should enlarge, mat, frame and hang it on my wall.

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Given all the massive rock formations in the Garden, this picture is simple. It is calming. The trail is smooth and level. The trees and shrubs communicate a sense of being rapped in a blanket. The sky is soft.

Greater than a walk in the Garden of the Gods is the presence of God in our lives.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 New Living Translation

Peter knew what he was talking about. He was thrown in jail, beaten and ridiculed for his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Eventually he would hang upside down on a cross because of this calming relationship he had with Jesus.

If you’re wondering whether God cares for you look to the cross. God’s Son bleeds for you. He dies for you and he lives for you. God can be trusted and if he can be trusted then it’s worth casting our anxieties, worries and cares on his shoulders.

A relationship with Jesus Christ takes us beyond worry. In Jesus we find rest for our souls. Now that’s a happy place.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner