Look! No Hands!

Know what I do when my mood starts to drop? I check my email! Because something in me always thinks that outside circumstances will intervene to save my day, will steer my life in the right direction without my even having to drive. Even when I’ve prayed about something and asked for help, first thing I usually do is go check the mail, check my email, or go look on Facebook. Not that I haven’t had miracle answers that came by email or snail mail. But usually my answer is to wait, keep hoping, keep praying, read scripture, get busy or some other process that involves me and not circumstances.

A new flip phone ad I saw the other day so completely plays into this. A guy is incredibly happy with his life because of his new girlfriend that he met at some store that he found on Facebook or some other networking site that he plugged into via his new flip phone. He now has this perfect life and all he had to do was buy the right phone!

Isn’t the thought of “fate” stepping in and changing our world an exciting prospect? It’s why so many movies are made with that story line. Look at “Serendipity”, “Sleepless in Seattle”, even – no especially – , “An Affair to Remember”. They all have a plotline, some element or key scene that depends on fate intervening in the characters' lives. That moment when eyes lock, a check arrives, an accident occurs, or a stranger approaches and lives change.

Sometimes it actually works! For years I surfed and looked for houses on my laptop, all over the place, not just in northern Virginia. And one day I decided to pursue lakes in South Carolina. I fell in love with a little house with lot of built-in bookshelves. And destiny - GOD - intervened and led us to that very house. Steve and I both know for certain that it was where we were meant to be. Every day just proves it more.

Here’s the flip side of all this. The way God wants us to live is exactly as I’ve described. No, not compulsively checking email every ten minutes or looking for our life changes on the internet. But giving up complete control. To Him.

He’s bigger, richer, smarter, more loving, and knows us better than we know ourselves! Plus He has these really great plans for our lives. Why then is it so hard to just let Him have control? It’s hard not to think of Him as too big (“Why would He care about my little worries and plans?”) or too small (“Sure, I believe, He will provide my needs today but this is my whole LIFE we’re talking about.”).

Truth is, He’s both big enough to handle our futures and caring enough to want to help us with every small detail. He loves to step in and turn our shoulders in the direction that is best for us. And because He adores and delights in us, we can trust Him completely. Plus He sees the big picture that we can’t see! Hands off the wheel and watch for the excitement of living life out of control!

Psalm 20:4; Psalm 33:10, 11, 13-15; Proverbs 16:9; Jeremiah 29:11
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed…The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations…From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do…In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”