Gathering for Tomorrow

Working while trusting God to carry what I can't

A squirrel is gathering quietly in the grass-photo by Bonnie S. Heisse.

As I watch the squirrels in their natural environment, several things stand out depending on the season. In the fall, they spend a lot of time gathering nuts to hold them over for the winter.

Their pace isn’t frantic, but it doesn’t consume all their time either. They still take time to play, socialize, and rest. There’s a balance there. Guided by instinct, they know what to do and when to do it.

Our lives should reflect the same thing. Most of the time, we know what to do. But there are also moments when circumstances catch us completely unaware. We’re hit like a flash flood — something that comes out of nowhere and most of the time without warning.

What do you do when that happens? Who do you depend on?

I wish I could say I’ve found that rhythm. But I haven’t. The truth is, my life doesn’t feel anything like that balance right now.

There isn’t much peace or calm. No gentle rhythm to lean into. It’s one storm after another — and most of the time, they hit all at once. I’m not gathering for a quiet winter; I’m bracing for whatever is about to break loose next.

And I’ll be honest — if it weren’t for the people God has placed around me, I don’t know how I’d keep standing. Family, friends, my church community… they have become part of the way God carries me. When the storms pile up and I’m stretched thin, they’re the ones who pray for me, lift me, and steady me when I feel like I’m about to break.

I don’t take that lightly. Their support isn’t a small thing — it’s one of the clearest ways God reminds me I’m not alone, even when everything feels like too much.

That’s the part that struck me as I watched that squirrel. He gathers because that’s how God made him. But he doesn’t fear tomorrow. He doesn’t worry about storms he can’t see coming.

I do. I feel every one of them is building. Some days it feels like I’m trying to prepare for tomorrow while barely surviving today.

But maybe that’s where the real lesson is. Not in doing more… or controlling more… or preparing for every possible crisis — because I can’t.

Maybe the reminder is this:

I am not meant to carry the whole weight of tomorrow. God is.

The squirrel does what he can and leaves the rest. Maybe I need to do the same—gather what I can today and let God hold everything beyond my reach.

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34

So when the following wave breaks, I won’t face it alone. I’ll take it one day at a time, trusting the God who holds everything I can’t.

🌿 One Dreams Writing — reflections on faith, survival, and trust in the middle of life’s storms.