The Worry Tree

During February’s Children’s Chapel we heard the story The Worry Tree by Laura Wilkerson Spencer.  The story talks about worries and how they can weigh us down.  We shared about some of the things that worry us.  What we do when we are worried and how we can share our worries to make their burden on us lighter. Our kids worry about things like taking tests, making friends, loved ones in the military, people they love who are feeling sick, scary things they hear in the news and on the radio. We took time to write down our worries on little slips of paper and took them outside to a Grandfather tree and asked the tree to hold our worries for us.  The Worry Tree gives our worries a boundary.  They have been acknowledged and expressed by words or pictures, but they are filling a space other than our minds. Our worries don’t go away but they are do become lighter enabling us to go ahead into the day better prepared to face whatever comes our way.

This month’s activity is to create a Worry Box/Jar/Tree.

Decide where you will place your worries-a box, a jar, or maybe a tree. Decorate your container as you see fit.

Talk about it:  Explain to your child that this is a special place where they can put away their worries and they do not need to carry them through their day or when they are sleeping.

Let your child choose the place where the worry container will be kept. Letting your child make this decision helps your child gain some control over their worries.

For a beautiful, soothing picture book to introduce a worry box, read The Worry Box: A Picture Book for Anxious Children.  Author Suzanne Chiew takes readers on a beautiful adventure with Murray Bear, his sister Molly, and his trusted worry box.

Chalice Lighting

In the flame of this chalice

We find the hope of faith,

The glow of hope,

And the warmth of service.

May we ever grow in faith, hope, and service

As we kindle our own lights from its spark.

-Anonymous

Family Grace

Make me strong in spirit,

Courageous in action,

Gentle of heart.

Let me act in wisdom,

Conquer my fear and doubt,

Discover my own hidden gifts.

Meet others with compassion,

Be a source of healing energies,

And face each day with hope and joy.

-Abby Willowroot