Out of Control!

When was the last time you felt a tad bit out of control?  Running behind for an appointment only to find traffic at a stand still? Watching your first child go off to college? Experiencing an earthquake? Going through depression? Losing a job?  You get the idea. Something that takes place in our lives that leaves us unable to do the things we normally do to maintain control of a situation.

Being in control is something we value.  It's nice to know that we can manage every situation that comes our way.  It's when we're out of control that freaks us out.  We don't know what to do when the situation gets beyond us.  It can be an earthshaking situation, like an earthquake.  But feeling out of control can take place simply on a bad day at work...when nothing goes the way you want it to.  No one likes being out of control.

Sometimes, people medicate, drink, or do other things excessively to sooth the feeling of being out of control. That certainly doesn't work for the long haul, although people may say they feel better for the moment.  I have learned that sometimes God allows periods of feeling out of control to remind me that he IS in control.  It forces me to realize that I'm not in charge of the universe and things don't always go my way.  As I pour through Scriptures for God's promises, my mind is filled with the reality of God's control over EVERYTHING.  What does that mean for me?  Instead of being anxious, fearful or worried, I start seeing the value of trusting God in EVERYTHING.

God is in the here and now.  He is present.  Once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you're experiencing difficulties beyond your control, you will be able to say "God knows all about this and is in control."  It's when we don't find our solace in God, that we seek it elsewhere.  The more we run to God in our weakness, the more we see over and over, that He is indeed, in control and has the whole situation in His hands.

Remember the song "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands?" Well, God does.  Oswald Chambers writes "At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not. He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not.  Rest in perfect confidence in Him." (My Utmost for His Highest) Earthshaking events will continue to happen in our lives; we have no control over that.  But, thanks be to God!  He is in control!

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.