God box

This is a concept that some of you may have read about in various books. I first read about in Simple Abundance, although she does not call it a God Box. I have done it for years and have found that it is a very powerful tool in my life.

A God Box is simply a container large enough to hold a slip of paper. For you it might be a paper bag. I needed something more "ceremonial", so I chose a painted box given to me by a special friend. The purpose of the God box is to help you signify the "letting go" of your problems to God. Now, for you, God may be a higher power in the universe -- I don't think the name is important, the idea works for anyone.

Each of us has things in our life over which we are powerless. If you are like I am, you tend to obsess over those things. The essence of our relationship with God is the faith that God -- or the universe -- is watching over us and caring for our needs. Unfortunately, at times my faith is lacking. I pray and pray over the same things until even God's patience must be tried!

In those circumstances, I go to my God Box. I sit down and write a little letter to God. I outline my problem, my possible solutions, if any, and I ask for what I need -- wisdom, courage, strength, money, etc. I pray one last prayer and then I put in the box. I then walk away and don't pray about it again. It is a way of committing something to God with such a strong belief in his caring that we know we can walk away and He has it handled.

I have had my God box for many years, but I forgot about it until this week when I was at my wits end over our search for a new house. After talking to my then-husband, sobbing to my mother, and ranting to my best friend didn't result in inner peace, I decided I needed to pull out the box! I wrote down my fears, my challenges, what was wrong, what was right and then I put it aside. This round, the answer came the next morning by way of a phone call that said "you've got it". The answers aren't always that black and white, however.

Another aspect of the box's reaffirming powers is that when you go back to the box you find the slips of paper you put in the last time you used it. Things that seemed very big at the time that worked out without a hitch are great encouragement when your faith needs a boost!

If you are intrigued at the idea of creating your own God Box . . . read Anne Lamott's wonderful article on them at http://www.salonmagazine.com/dec96/lamott961202.html. She expresses the purpose and impact of the boxes much more eloquently than I. I encourage you to make your box a special place, and use it with care and real reverence. You must also remember that the box doesn't make God listen more, or impact Him at all. It is simply a tool to help you strengthen your own faith -- in yourself and in God.

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