Relinquishing Control
“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart an lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.”
A few years ago when my youngest nephew was a toddler I walked into his bedroom after a long day of work. I was excited to see him but not as excited as he was to see me. Without warning, he stood on the bed and leaped into my unsuspecting arms. I pivoted quickly, closing the 3 or 4 feet between us and catching his tiny body before he could touch the ground.
While my heart rate had hiked up with fear, it was evident that his had excelled with joy as his giggles filled the room. He was completely oblivious to the danger he had just evaded. After a long hug and a few tickles, I sat him down and explained to him the importance of looking before he leaped. I told him to always be sure that the person he was jumping toward was ready, willing and, able to catch him.
That story has been ingrained in my mind ever since and it isn’t the only one. I’ve had the privilege of working with many children over the years and I am constantly in awe of their ability to trust blindly.
I now understand that in my nephew’s little mind, his actions were perfectly logical. From his perspective, he had made an informed decision. The arms he jumped into that day were arms that had carried, cradled, and lifted him many times before. He had a long list of memories of piggyback rides, and being tossed into the air and caught without harm to base his decision on. He knew I could carry his weight and that I had never dropped him before. So he concluded that he had no reason to fear, and therefore, he trusted me enough to let go.
I am learning that God’s hope and expectation for us is to have that same blind trust as we walk with Him. Unfortunately, this presents a major struggle; a struggle that dates back to the children of Israel in the Old Testament. How do we trust God and relinquish control despite our circumstances? In moments where life feels uncertain, when choices are unclear, or options are few we often try to take matters into our own hands. Our instinctive response to fear and the unknown is to hold on, to grip, to control.
I am no stranger to this. By nature, I am a detective, I love puzzles, research, putting things together, and figuring things out. As a result, I am a lover of details and plans. I tend to want to know what I’m getting into before I step in.
At first glance that may seem harmless, but as I’ve walked with God, I have learned that there are some things He simply will not tell us upfront. Why? Because He desires for us to trust Him fully.
A sure sign of trust is not needing to know every detail because we believe that the person in charge is capable. God wants us to approach life as if we know that He has our best interest at heart. This stance provides the kind of rest and trust that would allow us to jump, without concern of the ground beneath us.
The beauty of this scenario is that unlike myself, God is never in the position to be unprepared. Nothing takes Him by surprise. So, when we choose to leap into His arms, we are leaping into the arms of the One who is able, prepared, and willing to catch us every single time.
Friend, it is time that we relinquish control. It’s time for us to recall all of the ways that God has caught us before. Look up and see that His arms are still wide open. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and leap…
