I have been slow to learn how little control I have in life.
For years, I tried to control my family because I felt I knew what was best. When my children were young I had more control over what they did and where they went and who they hung out with.
As they grew older, it was hard for me to let go of the control. I have a tendency to want to control what my children do, even as adult children. I am the Mom, so obviously I know what is best, right?
One of the things I learned after my Mom passed away in 2009 is how little control I have in life. If I could have controlled the situation, I would have wanted Mom to have more time here on earth.
So daily (sometimes several times a day) I have to remind myself that God’s ways are not my ways. I have to surrender and it goes against my very nature.
I love what Beth Moore wrote in her Bible study, Children of the Day.
I am not in control.
I cannot control my people.
I cannot control our situation.
Even when I want what is best, I cannot control the outcome.
I cannot make people behave.
I cannot make people believe.
I cannot make people be strong.
Because I am not God.
God alone knows the end from the beginning.
God alone knows how this will turn out.
I hereby fire myself from God’s job
And I agree to see my fight for control as what it is:
A screaming testament to my distrust.
Today maybe you need to let go of a situation that you can’t control. God can be trusted!
This song is by Hillary Scott, she is a part of the country music group Lady Antebellum. She is starting a solo career and is singing with her family. It’s a beautiful song!
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Have a blessed Sunday!
Thank you Cyndi, what a g-r-e-a-t lesson! We all know we must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn’t come naturally. Honestly, real, serious abandonment to Jesus Christ is almost impossible. It totally violates our logic, our strong, rational reasoning abilities. My mind at times just recoils from it and thus it creates a spiritual crisis of my will in which I must choose to exercise faith. . . . And Faith does not come in a bushel basket. It comes one small step at a time. When I have found Jesus Christ wanting in my time of need, I always realize I have temporarily confused Him with a genii.
This has become my new verse for this year over the past several months. It just keeps popping up!! God is reminding me that my plans and my thoughts are so small compared to HIS plans and HIS thoughts and all the GREAT ways He has planned to work. I can’t even imagine. He can’t tell me or show me because it would be way more than I could handle. Thank you for confirming this!
This came at the perfect time for me. I’ve always loved being a mom…no one told me how hard it is to parent adult children. With God’s help, I’ve been better at weaning away than I ever imagined, but to see your adult children suffer, when you can’t do anything but pray is so hard. I do not know how people do it without much faith.Thank you for this post!
I needed to hear this and thank you for sharing. Two months ago I had a serious brain injury and I am still recovering.
This past week, my daughter lost several friends in a tragic car accident, she has completely shut down and will not talk to my husband or me. When she hurts, we hurt.
Beautiful reminder to let go and let God. Thank you for the inspirstion.
Thanks for the reminder. So often we get caught up in our own issues and forget this. Bless you for helping us to remember! Love your blog!
Everything you wrote today is so true. My son’s will always be my children even though they each have a daughter of their own. It is nice when they ask advice but I try not to tell them. Thank you. Blessings
That quote and that study was one of my favorites. I get to see Beth Moore in TN this August. Can’t wait. From one control freak to another – Thank you Cyndi for the reminder.
Thank you, thank you for this post today. I was praying about this just last night: “Please, Lord, let me hand my worries over to you.” That was my prayer. It will be my mantra this week. Thank you for helping to reinforce it. Have a great week!
Thank you for this lovely post and song. I have had a month of one thing after another and I really needed to be reminded that He sees me, He hears me, He is for me, His will be done. Your Sunday posts are always such a blessing.
Beautiful song and message! Thank you for this wonderful reminder that God is in control and He truly does know best. Have a wonderful, peaceful Sunday.
Beautiful reminder for all of us. Like you I struggle with control – especially over my adult children. I see them sometimes making choices that they shouldnt and I just want to intervene. But God is showing me and helping me to trust Him. In fact I’d say that if I tried to control less God could have done His work sooner. My prayer every day is that I let go and let God have His way.
God bless everyone.
Thank you for this wonderful post today. We have gone through a rough time with our adult son who has bi-polar, and in venting my frustrations in prayers to God, I kept hearing Him say, “I’ve got this; you’ve got to trust me.” It was a powerful lesson to learn and grow through, but we are coming out the other end, and His plan is so much better than anything my husband or I could make up for our son and family.
He is God. I am not. Saw that all over the place last week. I need the reminder!
Cyndi, I was going to send you that quote by Beth Moore if you had not quoted her. I have this on my Frig. I read it every time I walk by. I’m 76 and I still need a reminder every day.
Thank you Cyndi for this reminder and beautiful song. I always enjoy your Sunday blog. ~Lisa~
A perfect reminder for this day…and everyday! My mom, who suffers with Alzheimer’s , is living with me now. Talk about not being able to control anything!! My goodness…God teaches me daily how little control I have!
Cyndi, I have read the same Beth Moore devotional and come away with the same learning experience. I then learned and truly accepted He alone is God and He alone is in control and He alone knows the future and what is best for His children. It was then that I truly learned to fully Trust in Him because I was brought to see that by trying to control what He has control over isn’t really trusting Him. This was one of, if not the most, biggest revelations in my own life and I am thankful for it! Thank you for sharing this and reminding me! God bless you and yours.
Thank you for the reminder! This is something I struggle with daily!! When I stop and tell myself to ” let go and let God” it is a burden lifted. We need to believe that God is in control and trust that he knows what is best for us.
Cyndi,
This is a beautiful reminder of something most of us struggle with, especially women. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the beautiful song by Hillary. God bless you for being a blessing to so many.
Marisa
How relevant to my circumstances!!!
Yes sister!!!!
Thank you.l really needed to get the message for today.bless you.
Beautiful message. I remind myself frequently that God knows my heart and that of all concerned. He also know how it all ends so I need to lift up to him the situation and ask that He guide us thru this turmoil we are feeling. He knows and has a path to lead us thru.
Great message today Cyndi! I hope I can copy the text from the book so that I can post it on my FB page. I love Hillary’s song and can’t wait for her families gospel album.
Have a blessed day
Amen…thank you, Cindi!
Thank you for this message today. I needed the reminder:)
Thanks for this great devotional! As a Type A firstborn, I frequently need this reminder. I love Lady Antebellum and this is a beautiful song!
Funny, this entire week i have been saying that to myself. I’m not God and his will be done not mine.
Thank you for your beautiful kind words each Sunday.
Have a blessed day!
Thank you for reminding me I need to let go and to trust.
I just heard this song on the radio yesterday and was able to share this with a hurting friend going thru depression. She was uplifted and God is healing her. Thanks for sharing these beautiful songs here.
PTL!
I, too, needed to hear this today and to trust God every day and in every situation. Thank you. The song by Hillary Scott is my prayer also.
That song was so beautiful Cyndi. Thx for sharing. I’m going to send it to a friend who is struggling in her marriage. She has 4 kids and is having such a hard time at home. ;-( if you think of Kim, please say a prayer for her. Have a beautiful day 😉 thank you
Thank you, Cyndi! This is just what I needed today! Have a blessed Sunday, sweet lady!
Thank you Cyndi. I needed to hear this today. Enjoy your sunshine and have a blessed Sunday.
Love your posts and that song!
So True
Amen!
This hits home for me, Cyndi. I, too, have control issues and want what (I think!) is best for my adult children. I am really trying to turn this over to God. Have a wonderful Sunday!