Playing Superhero
It’s easy for me to want to play superhero. I like feeling as if I have a pretty good handle on my life.
I like routine, with flexibility. The routine helps me feel grounded, but working in space for flexibility allows me to shift gears more easily, being able to tackle unknowns with a little less fluster & a little more calm.
I like control. When it all boils down, what I’m really saying is that I like control.
I am pretty sure I am not alone on this, either.
Balance Is Good, but Leave Room to Trust God FIRST
And for those who feel their schedule has NOT been ironed out yet, leaving them with a little more fluster & a little more flailing through each day… the reason we feel that way is lack of control. We want control. (Also, check out my “Managing Time, with God in Mind” post!)
It’s not that this is a bad thing to want. I am much more stable now that I have bowed my schedule woes to God & asked Him for an overhaul that allows more balance & peace in my schedule. I am much more productive that way.
But there’s a catch.
We cannot grow self-protective in our control over our schedule. We can’t RELY on our schedule & using that control as our source of confidence & peace. We can’t learn to rely on OURSELVES.
A Fresh Example Why Trusting Our Control Doesn’t Work As Well As It Seems
I have talked before about our journey of praying for a baby & how I handled it when God had not yet answered that prayer with a “yes.”
MEANWHILE, I was building a self-protection back-up plan in my heart of, “Well, if God DOESN’T give us a baby, here are all the reasons why that would probably be better ANYWAY.”
This is a natural thing for us to do because the unknown can sometimes be the scariest place to be. We want to think of how to fix the problem in a way that returns that control back to us.
BUT if we’re not careful, that new plan can REPLACE our trust in God, creating a NEW problem in & of itself.
For example, if I built up in my mind all of the ways that pregnancy & parenting would add stress, exhaustion, & hardship into my life, not to mention a more-strained bank account, how do you think I will likely react if God then were to answer us with the, “Yes, you will be parents!” answer we had been previously praying so hard for?
Trading Control for Surrender
My point is this, if our contentment/joy in our schedule, our plans, or our life is based on us having control, we will inevitably lose that façade of control & will be left vulnerable & hurting once again.
We need something MORE than our meager, unreliable means of control over our own lives to base our hope & security.
We NEED to trust GOD.
Surrendering Our Control for HIS Control
In my baby scenario, the healthiest way I could have managed that fear of His “NO” would be if I had turned to Him in the hurt & talked with Him through it, “God, I don’t understand Your “no” & it hurts! I want a baby & I don’t understand why Your plan would not include that for me. I have wanted this phase of life to become reality since I was a young girl, playing with my dolls, dreaming of someday being a Mommy to my own precious child. I want game nights & prayer times. I want to teach them about You. I want to love them SO MUCH. I don’t understand. It hurts. Please help me to trust Your plan in the midst of Your “no” right now. Help me to trust You more than I trust having a baby or not. You are the One who can offer me the most fulfillment, so please help me to see that & to grow in that understanding & love for You & trust in You. Amen.”
(To calm your possible aching hearts, I HAVE since turned my prayer time on this topic toward this direction & God HAS provided me with peace & assurance in Him, no matter the outcome. I can jump for joy with friends becoming new mamas & I can live my days in contentment & purpose, knowing God has my heart in His capable, loving hands, in His perfect & loving plan. Do I still have occasional days where my heart aches? Yes. But this is more the rarity than the norm. He has me & will continue to have me… & that’s a great & safe place for my heart to be, come what may. He’s got me.)
He Does a Much Better Job-It’s Worth It!
I like feeling capable just as much as the next girl. I like feeling in control & empowered.
But I am just a girl, knowing I have limitations & knowing my dear God who has none & who loves me infinitely more than I can express to you. (And He loves YOU just the same!)
While I crave control, I want to learn to ditch that addiction that I cling to so tightly. I want to learn to cling to Him.
Because all can change. All can fade away. I can lose it all.
But His hope remains.
His power remains.
His love remains.
His GRACE remains.
Control & Surrender-The Life-Changing Difference
I want to train my heart to pry away my white-knuckled fingers from controlling my life & circumstances & I want to ever-learn how to rest back into His capable arms, asking Him to lead my day, my steps, my words, my LIFE.
There is so much life-changing beauty in learning & living the difference between control & surrender. One leaves us reliant on our own limitations & the other frees us to trust THE God who has none.
Because THAT, my friend, is where TRUE joy & contentment can flourish… & where we can finally learn what He meant when He said, “I have come that they may have LIFE, & have it more ABUNDANTLY.” (John 10:10)
Shine HOPE by letting Him have the reins of your life & by putting your full hope in Him, no matter what life may bring.
Trust Him FIRST, last, & everywhere in between. ALWAYS.
He’s GOT you, Girl.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
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A Note from Michelle:
This blog/website has been running for TWO years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Ramala Bracelet Set
(Only 1 of 2 Bracelets shown in photo.)
A set of 2, these bracelets are silver, adjustable, & 1 (shown) features real moonstone, with varying hues of lilac, blue, & purple.
Artisan Information:
The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!
Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
