Let it Go- Control

I am a control freak, sometimes...
I love to plan everything out and see how it will happen and the closest it works out to what I was picturing, the happier I am. Christmas is a great example of that.

I work in a church. That means Christmas Eve and Easter are two of the biggest work days for me. Christmas Eve is a hard one because I like to be home to dress my daughter in her pretty dress for Christmas Eve service. Get the Christmas morning rolls prepped for the following morning. Make sure everything is ready for "Santa's" after bedtime delivery. But since I'm at work usually until right up to the evening service, I have to trust my loyal, ever so understanding husband to get the right clothes on our kid for the perfect pictures in front of the dazzling decorations that evening. It is hard. But, I've also learned that letting that control go on the busiest day of the year helps me sink into it in a deeper, more meaningful way.

We try to control lots of things as humans with minds that cope on their own. We cling tightly to finances. Make sure our kids are first in line wherever we go and in whatever we're doing. We try to manipulate situations so they work out in our favor, when all along, we mess with the process God has for us, and guess what- His was even better than we could have ever imagined. We just don't trust.

One of the best things you can do for your faith is to simply let go. Maybe that isn't the correct wording- one of the best things you can do for your faith is to literally pry your hands and ideas off of what God already has for you. It is not simple and it is definitely a lifelong process, but it is necessary for growth.

A way we can help ourselves to do this more and more is to remember that somethings just aren't worth spending our energy over. If we cling to every single idea of how we think things should go, we won't only lose friends, we'll lose sanity. Save yourself the energy and grief and know what battles are worth fighting and which ones will survive even if you don't have your hands all over them. The world will still turn even if you don't tell it to. Promise. =) 

Scripture to read:

Genesis 16

Questions to ponder:
What kinds of situations do you like to have control over?

What would happen if you let go of control over a couple of those things?

How did Sarai control a situation that God already had control over? Why do you think she did?