Loosen the GRIP!
I was never the person that took disappointment well. Every time something I was hoping to happen, never happened, I was disappointed and confused. When my plans that I had for myself didn't fall through, I experienced disappointment. When tough times hit, I never thought I would see the other side, I doubted, and my faith grew weary. Some of us have faced tough seasons in our lives that have hit us harder than anything we've ever encountered. This pandemic we are living through has brought unwanted challenges, and sometimes it's hard to see it through.
I feel like more than ever in these last four months of having my life turned upside down, I genuinely am learning something I never thought about before. As I'm writing this, I came across this phrase, "I can't control God." I can admit that I have been guilty of this. Subconsciously, I attempt to fix everything on my own and figure that I know what's best. I spend the majority of my time trying to control the outcomes of situations that I end up playing the role of God. I think that "If I do this, then this will work out the way it should" or "if I just try to play my cards right and do it my way, I'll be good."
In reality, it's never good when I start to think I know it all and have that mentality that it's my way or the highway! We do not have the capability or even the ability to control outcomes. I stress out; I get anxious and worried because I am not letting God be God. I'm trying to control every inch of my life, and it's causing me more harm than good. We have to let God be God, and we have to trust that he knows what he is doing. He won't fail you, nor will he fail me.
A pastor I had listened to one Sunday brought up a compelling visual. He started off talking about lifting weights and the grip we have when we workout. He said, "We can lift so much more if we just loosen our grip." I'm guilty of hanging on to things too tight because I want it to go the way that I think it should go. I'm scared of the uncertainty…I don't know how my life is going to play out. I don't know what's next for me? God knows what's next. He knows your heart's desire, and what you want, but you may have to go through XYZ to get there...and that's okay!
The moments that we start to loosen our grip are the moments that we say, "God, I'm taking this step to loosen the grip on whatever I may be holding on tight to. I know that you have the best of the best in mind for me. I know the plans you have for me are for my good and my future. Right now, I give it to you, and I'm going to let you be God."