Giving Up Control

I am not a control freak.  Most of the time I am pretty laid back, but I have to admit there have been times in my life where I have wanted to just take control, right a ship, get something done, and move on.  I've come to realize this usually occurs out of fear or when I worry.  

Ugh, there's that "w" word again.

When I was in high school a friend and I decided to enjoy a beautiful winter day by going to a movie... 25 miles away.  Sounds like a great plan, until we found ourselves on an ice covered blacktop that we honestly should not have been on.  The car started to slide on the ice a bit.  As the passenger I was instantly scared and without even realizing what I was doing I grabbed the steering wheel....I guess to help!?

The next thing we knew we were in the ditch.  You probably saw that coming.  Luckily no one was hurt and the farmer who lived close by pulled the car out for us. 

And so it seems to be, whenever I feel things are out of control and/or not moving at the pace I think they should,  I tend to grab the wheel in an attempt to steer things in the direction I know they should go.   

You would think at 52 I would know better by now.  

I really try to separate the things I know I can control and those I can't.  Once I decide I want to do something,  I want it done... now.  If it is something I can control, that is great - I do it ASAP.  However, the world does not move at the speed of Barb (ideally speaking, not physically speaking).  So there are many things I have to pray about and give to God to handle.

The hard part? - leaving them in God's hands.  At times it is as if I am saying, "You know what God, you really aren't taking care of this in the timely fashion I would prefer, so let me take this one back so I can worry and fret about it some more, because that is totally going to solve this issue...and here... I'll give you this problem to work on instead."

Have I mentioned I struggle with patience?  Yep, it's the "p" word again. 

I have had a few reminders in the last few weeks that I need to let go of the things I can not control.  If left to my own devices I could easily put myself in a ditch (again).  

About a month ago during Advent, our Family Pastor at church, Pastor Shane, was giving a message about peace.  Not peace in the sense of the "absence of  war" and everyone around the world doing a big group hug.  The peace he was referring to was "Shalom."  The word that comes closest in translation is "peace".  

This Shalom, or peace, is best defined as "That state of existence that is achieved when everything and everyone works in perfect harmony to fulfill their intended purposes.  Shalom is achieved when creation does exactly as it was created to do and the world is as it should be."

Simply put, for everything to be the way it ought to be.   

Ah,  now that's a world I want to live in!

I loved Pastor Shane's message, especially when he reminded us of the need to put our trust in God and hand things over to him, big and little, in order for us to be at peace in our relationship with Him.  

When referring to the times in life when we feel things are out of control, he said:  

"Out of your control?  Absolutely!  
Out of His control?  Not a chance."

So I am going to try really REALLY hard this year to be better about giving the things I can not control to God,  praying faithfully about them, and leaving them in His hands.  

God's ways are better than mine.  I may not always understand His timing, but I need to trust it and quit grabbing the steering wheel.  


....And from the heavens above God's people heard Him utter an exasperated, "finally!"