Hey, Carpool Crew! Happy Friday, and welcome to day four of Proverbs for Your School Life. Today we're talking about that morning when you zip up your backpack and your brain starts listing everything at once. The spelling test. The reading log. Practice tonight. And your chest starts feeling as stuffed as the backpack. I'm Pastor Justin, and before we jump in, let me give a big shout-out to Hayden, Vera Grace, and Gwenny out in Dallas, Georgia. Hayden, Vera Grace, and Gwenny, three of you on one shout-out, that is a whole crew. I'm so glad you made it to Friday with us. And this episode is all about days that feel too full to carry. We've all had one this week. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: hand God your to-do list first. Listen to this from Proverbs 16:3. "Commit your activities to the LORD, and your plans will be established." Commit is a rolling word. In Solomon's language it meant roll it over, like a stone way too heavy to pick up. You don't lift a stone like that. You roll it onto Someone stronger. And remember who wrote this. Solomon ran an entire kingdom. His to-do list had armies on it. Buildings. A thousand decisions before lunch. The king with the longest list in Israel is the one telling you to roll it onto God first. God doesn't wait to steady your day until you've handled everything. He steadies it the moment you hand it over. If Jesus were sitting next to you in the car right now, He would say, "I heard that list rattling around your head when you zipped the backpack. Give Me the big one first. We'll walk into that spelling test together." It's Friday morning in the drop-off line. Two kids, same backpack, same spelling test first period. One walks in carrying the whole day by himself, shoulders up by his ears before the first bell even rings. The other one said one sentence out loud in the car. God, the test is Yours today. Same test. Same hallway. One of them walks in lighter, because he's not the only one carrying it. So today, here's the one thing you could try. On the way to school, name your one big thing out loud. Just one. Then hand it over with these exact words: "God, this one's Yours today." And yes, grown-ups need this one too. I've prayed that sentence in a parking lot before a big meeting. Handing it to God isn't skipping the test. It's walking in with Someone who's already steady. Hey, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. Hand God your to-do list first. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, real quick. This Saturday on Carpooling with Jesus+, we're talking about doing the work, not just the wishing, from Proverbs 13:4. And Sunday, it's being the kid people can count on, from Proverbs 3:3. For less than a candy run at a gas station, your kids don't miss a single day of Proverbs for Your School Life. Subscribe right from the app you're already listening on. *(APPLE VERSION ONLY, swap for the candy-run line above: "For less than a candy run at a gas station, your kids don't miss a single day of Proverbs for Your School Life. And in Apple Podcasts there's a whole year for $34.99. That's about three months free compared to paying monthly, and it's handled until next September.")* Hey, before you go, let's answer this question together. What's the one big thing you want to hand to God today? I'll see you tomorrow or next Monday on Carpooling with Jesus.
