Dear Barb,
Wow, what great ideas you and the others here are sharing.
i am glad you started this thread.
For me, turning my life's challenges "over" is an action of faith, and, although I (usually) have lots of faith (at the intellectual level), it is sometimes hard to put into practice. It helps me to attach spirit to all things in my life and in my world, and one of the easiest images for me to connect with is that of a stream.
I have faith in the presence of a higher power in the same way that I can have faith in the fact that a stream travels a long way as an underground spring before it emerges into the light of day. The stream is always present, although it may not be visible.
Another reminder comes to me through the sky. I KNOW that there is a sun, even on cloudy days.
I need my spirituality tp be this basic and simple and natural because otherwise i would fail to work with it in daily life.
So, when I am faced with a trying situation, I tell myself that it is alraedy being worked on even though I cannot see the outcome immediately. Even the painful times have meaning in the bigger picture.
But, now i may try the God box or the burn + release practices you guys suggested above. I like those too.