I’m sitting here watching our high school’s biggest rival play a football game on national television. As I watch, I see four of the guys that my nephews played sports with in middle school being featured on national television. Now, our team, the team for which my nephews play, beat this rival and got beat by the team that they are playing, but they are on national television and my boys are at my parents’ house watching the game.
They are great kids and they are awesome athletes. When the oldest was getting ready to leave middle school, I played a pretty big part in convincing their mom that they should go to our alma mater for academic and athletic reasons. It gave me the opportunity to keep an eye on them and their progress and to watch out for their best interests because I teach there. But, as I look at this game ad these other players on national television getting exposure to colleges, I feel that I owe the biggest of apologies to my nephews. My need to be in control possibly got in the way of their futures in athletics because their current coaches could care less about getting them national attention or even into college; all they care about is winning. One of my favorite quotes is, “We plan; God laughs.” Yet, I still have this inane need to feel in control; to interject myself in situations where God is telling me to just stay out of it. I know that God is able to rectify the situation. I know that not I (as in control as I think I am) can get in the way of his plans for those boys’ futures, or for that matter in the way of my own future. I can wish all day long that I had stayed out of it, but I didn’t, so at this point, all I can do is ask the boys’ forgiveness, ask God’s forgiveness, pray, and trust Him to chart out the best course for all of my nephews and my niece, and for me and everyone I care about. As for me, I will stay out of it. Ms. EV
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'Dear God, my Master, you created earth and sky by your great power—by merely stretching out your arm! There is nothing you can't do.” Jeremiah 32:17 (The Message)
This week is Vacation Bible School at our church, so as I study the lessons and the verses for the week, I am going to use them as the inspiration for this week’s blogs. Today, the portion of the memory verse that speaks the most to me is, “There is nothing You can’t do.” God can do anything; there is nothing too hard for God to handle. God created the heavens and the earth. He separated land from water. He spoke and caused plants of every variety to grow. He set the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky. He orchestrated day and night, and each season of the year. He filled the oceans and the land with animals. He created man in His own image. He created woman out of man. And, that was just the beginning! So, why do we act as if our issues, our circumstances, our problems are too much for God to handle? Last week, in the blog, In ALL Things, I talked about trusting God in every circumstance in our lives, no matter how insignificant it may seem. But, we also have to trust that there is no situation in our lives that God cannot handle. Even when it seems overwhelming or insurmountable to us, God can work it out if we allow Him to have control. Therein lies the issue: control. Who is really in control of your life? I have to ask myself this question all the time. When doubt starts to creep in and when it feels like God is not moving fast enough, I am tempted to take over and do things my way, as if my problem is too hard for God and He needs my help. For example, it is no secret that I would like to be married and have children. At first, I gave myself until thirty to have however many children, I would have because I did not want to lack the energy necessary for my children’s adolescent years. As thirty passed, I extended the deadline to thirty-five, due to some cautionary words from my doctor. Well, I have to be married to have a baby (I realize that it is not impossible to have a baby without being married, but THIS GIRL needs to be married), so with the countdown to thirty-five looming ominously over my head, I held on to a relationship for way too long. Then, when it was over, I had even less time to date someone, get married and have babies, and the anxiety from constant thoughts about running out of time nearly threw me into a depression. So, I decided to give up on the idea of having a baby. If I no longer wanted to physically have a baby (I could always adopt a child), then the pressure to be in a relationship would decrease. I literally thought I could just snap my fingers, take control of my thoughts, and not want my own family, but the desire only disappeared temporarily. What I had done was place limits on God. I looked at the calendar, and I said, “Oh well, God can’t do this, so I will take control and help Him out by no longer making this request to Him. Now, I can get married whenever, and it will not matter.” I doubted God’s power, even though I have read of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth; all of whom had their wombs opened by God when it seemed impossible. The solution was not to stop wanting the family I dreamed of; it was to start trusting that NOTHING is too hard for God. I will never purposely put the health of my child at risk, but if God wills for me to have husband and children, who am I to put time restraints on the Father of Time? In life, we will face challenges and obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. Maybe you are not dealing with relationship issues. Perhaps, it is a financial issue, a physical issue, or a spiritual issue. These issues are only impossible for you and I to overcome in our own power. They are not too hard for God; nothing is too hard for Him. Giving God all of the control does not mean that we just exist like amoebas floating through life. It means we make the conscious choice to live out everyday of our lives according to God’s Will, and to allow Him to be God. We do not get to tell God what to do, but we can ask Him for what we desire. And, as we grow closer to Him, our desires line up with His desires for our lives. This helps me to know that if I still desire something, as I sit at His feet, it will come to pass. It may not happen the way I thought it would; nevertheless, no matter what the situation may look like to us, there is NOTHING too hard for God. Ms. EV |
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