Some people prefer the high speed, high risk, high reward aspects of living in the fast lane. I know a lot of people who will say flat out that they perform best under pressure and need a deadline to spur them forward. Others prefer a slower, more relaxed, less stressful pace. They are quite willing to be satisfied with less reward in some areas in exchange for more time and peace in favorite areas of life. We each have our preference, and can probably make a good argument for whichever lane we choose. But it doesn't really matter. We should drive in the lane that is best for what God has called us to do and feels best for us. If we drive in the fast lane we shouldn't speed to the point of blowing the doors off our life and end up in wreck. If in the slow lane, we shouldn't take it so slow and easy that we don't accomplish anything. There needs to be at least some direction toward balance.
But the most important thing is not what lane we choose or how we drive in it, but rather what road are we on? That is the question that ultimately will determine our destination. There are roads that seem like the right direction according to the ways and thoughts of men that lead only to destruction, and there is a road that leads to God and life. Fast paced or more relaxed we need to be moving toward God. Yes, enjoy the journey because you only get to ride this road once, but don't get sidetracked and exit off onto the wrong road. The destination is, when all is said and done and despite the popularity of the opposite view, equally important as the trip to get there. Our life now and the life to come are all about relationship with the One who built the road. Choose the route that leads to Him.
ULM
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Unshackled Moments ~ May 6 ~ "Praying For You," Encouragement Or Attack?
Yesterday I received a text that simply told me that the sender was praying for me and what the prayers were for. There's no question that prayers effect this plane, whether those we pray for know we are praying or don't know. But that simple text gave me encouragement at a point when I felt discouraged. It reminded me that I am cared for and loved. It helped me remember that Jesus is the answer. It blessed me and lifted my spirit.
I remember years ago a friend of mine went on a rant in a letter about how angry she got whenever someone told her that they're praying for her. She saw it as an attack, that those people didn't love her but rather sought to control and force change through supernatural means. She relayed the message of these unsolicited prayers as being along the lines of them saying "I'm praying that you stop being a worthless sinner," and "I'm praying that God overrides you're will and makes you act like I want you to act." Unfortunately, she had a valid point.
We need to pray for others, both our Christian brothers and sisters and those we know who are not believers. But we need to be sure of our motives also. Prayer is not a way to control others. It's not some spell that overrides free will. But crying out in love on behalf of the wounded and hurting is definitely something we are called to do. There are times, when our prayers should be kept to ourselves. Telling someone in bondage that you are praying that they come to place where they see the need and have the desire to get free may indeed come from a place of love more than attempt to control them, but unless they are at that point, the information is not likely to be seen as anything other than an attack. When we're sick we don't see things clearly. But there are times when letting someone know we're praying can be a blessing and encouragement. How to know the difference is something best left up to the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Understanding the Holy Spirit can help us make that choice. First why are we praying for that person? Is it because we are grieving over their pain or because thier actions are angering and inconveniencing us? If the former, keep praying for them. If the latter, repent, let God change our selfish motives to those of love and service and then keep praying for them. Is the knowledge that we're praying likely to encourage or make someone feel condemned, like they're not measuring up? If the latter, maybe we just need to change the way we express it. "I'm praying that you find peace and joy" is much easier to accept than "I'm praying that you stop engaging in self-destruction," but we have to stop being self-destructive to experience lasting and true peace and joy. Or maybe we need to wait to share our prayers. But whenever we can share that we are praying for someone in love in such a way that they will feel loved and encouraged, we should.
I remember years ago a friend of mine went on a rant in a letter about how angry she got whenever someone told her that they're praying for her. She saw it as an attack, that those people didn't love her but rather sought to control and force change through supernatural means. She relayed the message of these unsolicited prayers as being along the lines of them saying "I'm praying that you stop being a worthless sinner," and "I'm praying that God overrides you're will and makes you act like I want you to act." Unfortunately, she had a valid point.
We need to pray for others, both our Christian brothers and sisters and those we know who are not believers. But we need to be sure of our motives also. Prayer is not a way to control others. It's not some spell that overrides free will. But crying out in love on behalf of the wounded and hurting is definitely something we are called to do. There are times, when our prayers should be kept to ourselves. Telling someone in bondage that you are praying that they come to place where they see the need and have the desire to get free may indeed come from a place of love more than attempt to control them, but unless they are at that point, the information is not likely to be seen as anything other than an attack. When we're sick we don't see things clearly. But there are times when letting someone know we're praying can be a blessing and encouragement. How to know the difference is something best left up to the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Understanding the Holy Spirit can help us make that choice. First why are we praying for that person? Is it because we are grieving over their pain or because thier actions are angering and inconveniencing us? If the former, keep praying for them. If the latter, repent, let God change our selfish motives to those of love and service and then keep praying for them. Is the knowledge that we're praying likely to encourage or make someone feel condemned, like they're not measuring up? If the latter, maybe we just need to change the way we express it. "I'm praying that you find peace and joy" is much easier to accept than "I'm praying that you stop engaging in self-destruction," but we have to stop being self-destructive to experience lasting and true peace and joy. Or maybe we need to wait to share our prayers. But whenever we can share that we are praying for someone in love in such a way that they will feel loved and encouraged, we should.
"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another...."
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Unshackled Moments ~ May 5 ~ Don't Be A Puss
We have a cat. Other than having multiple extra toes (a condition that makes him a Hemingway cat, which is why my wife wanted him in the first place), he's not really any different than most cats that I've been around. Meaning that when he wants attention and to be petted he will pester you know end, but when you want to play with him and enjoy a little cat companionship he wants to do anything and everything else other than spend time with you. Cats are selfish pets. They act pet-like, come to you, allow interaction, etc., when it suits them and totally act like you don't exist when it suits them to do that. And obedience? I don't think so...at least not frequently enough to call it obedience. Obedience when it suits them or the call/command is what they wanted in the first place is not true submission. A quote I'm fond of that describes this phenomena is, "My dog thinks he's human. My cat thinks he's God."
Dogs on the other hand, in general, are more companion animals. They obey to please. They come when called. And whether you've been away from them five minutes or five days, they are grateful to see you and have your attention. This is part of why dogs are called man's best friend. By the way, if this seems like I'm knocking cats, I'm not. I actually spend more time with Spock, the cat, and like him more than the majority of canines in my home at the moment.
That said the attributes I described, when they are accurate and apply, make dogs better companions than cats the majority of the time. So which you prefer may depend on the quantity of companionship you're looking for in a pet. But why bring this up at all?
I was spending a little quality time with the cat (I guess he was in the mood to want to spend time with me) when I started thinking about this subject and how it's all too easy for me to act like a cat instead of a dog with God. No, God doesn't want us to be pets. He called us to become His children. But He does want our companionship, a true relationship with us. How many times have I acted like a cat with God? When I craved His attention and blessing, I rub His leg, purr and beg for Him to scratch behind my ears so to speak. I come when His call consists of Him spiritually opening a can of tuna. But when something shiny or spinning catches my eye I dart off to play and do my own thing, acting as though He doesn't exist, like He doesn't want me to stay in His arms. No, I don't want to be held right now, I don't want to be a companion and please Him, I want to do what I want to do. When what I want is Him, I'll be back, and He better respond to me the way I want the moment I want Him too.
That is total selfishness and no way to be a companion of God. Like the cat in the quote, it's me thinking I am, or at last acting like I am, God. I want to control the relationship, how much and how often we spend time together. I want to do what I want, when I want. When that includes time with God and doing His will, then it's easy to act obedient. But when I want, or think or feel like I want, to do my own thing, to engage in the pleasures of the world and self, then like a good agnostic I can turn the God awareness off and act as though He isn't there, or doesn't matter. The bad thing is this type of thinking and acting always, always, always leads to misery and destruction, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but always. The worse thing is that knowing where it leads I still cant's seem to continue to not act like a cat. I can stop for a while, but sooner or later....there I go again.
In recovery parlance, I admit I am powerless over selfishness, even when I know it's destructive, I can't stop starting to indulge myself, and once I start I can't control how long I'll be self-indulgent or how bad it'll have to hurt before I can stop again. But like any addiction, the solution is the same. In fact, all addictions have this one as the root. Selfishness and self-centeredness is the root of all our problems and addictions. It's the reason for the fall in the garden. The self-centeredness that makes us want to be our own god is the seed that produces the pride that even led to Lucifer's disgrace. The solution is relationship with a power greater than us, more specifically The Power that created us, more specifically God. It is through relationship with God and submitting when we can that opens us up to receive the power and grace to stay submitted when we are less interested in Him and more pulled toward self. We have to submit when we can, but it's only His power that can keep us submitting and His grace that can call us back to submission after we've fallen short of perfect submission to His will. By His grace and through His power we can be companions of God, we can be God's best friends.
Dogs on the other hand, in general, are more companion animals. They obey to please. They come when called. And whether you've been away from them five minutes or five days, they are grateful to see you and have your attention. This is part of why dogs are called man's best friend. By the way, if this seems like I'm knocking cats, I'm not. I actually spend more time with Spock, the cat, and like him more than the majority of canines in my home at the moment.
That said the attributes I described, when they are accurate and apply, make dogs better companions than cats the majority of the time. So which you prefer may depend on the quantity of companionship you're looking for in a pet. But why bring this up at all?
I was spending a little quality time with the cat (I guess he was in the mood to want to spend time with me) when I started thinking about this subject and how it's all too easy for me to act like a cat instead of a dog with God. No, God doesn't want us to be pets. He called us to become His children. But He does want our companionship, a true relationship with us. How many times have I acted like a cat with God? When I craved His attention and blessing, I rub His leg, purr and beg for Him to scratch behind my ears so to speak. I come when His call consists of Him spiritually opening a can of tuna. But when something shiny or spinning catches my eye I dart off to play and do my own thing, acting as though He doesn't exist, like He doesn't want me to stay in His arms. No, I don't want to be held right now, I don't want to be a companion and please Him, I want to do what I want to do. When what I want is Him, I'll be back, and He better respond to me the way I want the moment I want Him too.
That is total selfishness and no way to be a companion of God. Like the cat in the quote, it's me thinking I am, or at last acting like I am, God. I want to control the relationship, how much and how often we spend time together. I want to do what I want, when I want. When that includes time with God and doing His will, then it's easy to act obedient. But when I want, or think or feel like I want, to do my own thing, to engage in the pleasures of the world and self, then like a good agnostic I can turn the God awareness off and act as though He isn't there, or doesn't matter. The bad thing is this type of thinking and acting always, always, always leads to misery and destruction, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but always. The worse thing is that knowing where it leads I still cant's seem to continue to not act like a cat. I can stop for a while, but sooner or later....there I go again.
In recovery parlance, I admit I am powerless over selfishness, even when I know it's destructive, I can't stop starting to indulge myself, and once I start I can't control how long I'll be self-indulgent or how bad it'll have to hurt before I can stop again. But like any addiction, the solution is the same. In fact, all addictions have this one as the root. Selfishness and self-centeredness is the root of all our problems and addictions. It's the reason for the fall in the garden. The self-centeredness that makes us want to be our own god is the seed that produces the pride that even led to Lucifer's disgrace. The solution is relationship with a power greater than us, more specifically The Power that created us, more specifically God. It is through relationship with God and submitting when we can that opens us up to receive the power and grace to stay submitted when we are less interested in Him and more pulled toward self. We have to submit when we can, but it's only His power that can keep us submitting and His grace that can call us back to submission after we've fallen short of perfect submission to His will. By His grace and through His power we can be companions of God, we can be God's best friends.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Unshackled Moments ~ May 4 ~ May The Force Be With You
I'm old enough to have seen Star Wars IV while in elementary school. One thing that many fail to either realize or remember when they would bemoan the character of Jar Jar Binks and cry for his head when the prequels were released was that the Star Wars movies had been family films from the beginning, loved by children as much if not more than by adults. Part of what makes Star Wars so amazing is was ability to capture the hearts and minds of almost everyone from toddler to retiree. And part of what made that possible is how much everyone felt drawn to the idea of an all encompassing force that when connected to can turn a whiny and weak nobody into someone special and powerful enough to do the impossible and defeat the dark side.
Part of why it did so well, is that it is loosely based on a universal true story. We all come to a point where we find ourselves looking out across the desert of our lives, feeling like there's something missing, something more out there that we were created to be a part of. There is a power that we need and will never feel quite right until we connect with it. Once we do make that connection, the impossible can indeed become the possible and we can defeat darkness and bust the chains of bondage that we never had a chance against before. It's a universal story with a universal truth and why something that similar has a universal appeal.
But there are some differences. The power is not a mixture of light and dark. He is good. He is love. It is not some omnipresent part of creation. He is alive and creator of all. The miracles and victories don't come when we use the force, but rather when we surrender and allow the Force to use us/ It's not for a select few with certain types of blood but for all who will turn toward God and say yes to the call of relationship. Surrendered to this Power there is nothing that we can't do if it's His will that we do it. There is nothing that can defeat us when we are walking with Him. No chain that can hold us. Because through Him and by Him and for Him was everything made that was made, and without Him, we can do nothing.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Unshackled Moments ~ May 3 ~ Venerating Our Neighbor
sacred /
adjective: connected with God or dedicated to a religious/spiritual purpose and so deserving veneration.
connected / verb past tense or past participle: 1. brought together or into contact so that a real link is established. 2. Joined together so as to provide access and communication. 3. Linked to a power or water supply.
veneration / noun great respect; reverence.
The people we encounter are our neighbors. Jesus made that clear when He told the story of the good Samaritan in answer to the very question of who is our neighbor. We think of the Bible, churches, certain rites and relics as being sacred, but the truth is that the most sacred things in our lives after the presence of an indwelling God is in fact our neighbor, those we encounter...our family, friends, enemies and strangers at the gate.
The very Word of God that spoke creation into being took on flesh and became a man. Jesus died and rose again so that we could be brought into contact in such a way that a real link is established for access to, communication and relationship with the Ultimate Power supply, the Living Water, the Creator of all and One True God. God paid a costly price for the chance to connect with you. That means that you and I are of great value to Him. So is the guy who cut you off in traffic and the woman who blocked the aisle at Wal-Mart, and the unbeliever whose actions spit in the face of everything that we hold dear. Those are all people that God values so much He suffered and died for the chance of connection, in hopes that they will one day respond to His love. Anyone the God of the universe values so highly is worthy of our great respect.
If we claim to follow Jesus we have no right to treat any person we encounter as though they are worthless and have no value. When we treat a person as though they are nothing and should be discarded we are saying that Christ came and died for nothing. To follow Jesus we are to obey Him and do as He did. What did He do? He died for people who could never deserve it, who by human standards would never be worth such a price. What did He command? Love.
Lord, let Your will reign in my life. Rule over my reactions to others. Help me to respond to those I encounter, even those who offend, irritate and hurt me with Your love and treat them as though they have great value, because Your actions prove that they do. Thank You for assigning all of us such worth. Amen.
connected / verb past tense or past participle: 1. brought together or into contact so that a real link is established. 2. Joined together so as to provide access and communication. 3. Linked to a power or water supply.
veneration / noun great respect; reverence.
The people we encounter are our neighbors. Jesus made that clear when He told the story of the good Samaritan in answer to the very question of who is our neighbor. We think of the Bible, churches, certain rites and relics as being sacred, but the truth is that the most sacred things in our lives after the presence of an indwelling God is in fact our neighbor, those we encounter...our family, friends, enemies and strangers at the gate.
The very Word of God that spoke creation into being took on flesh and became a man. Jesus died and rose again so that we could be brought into contact in such a way that a real link is established for access to, communication and relationship with the Ultimate Power supply, the Living Water, the Creator of all and One True God. God paid a costly price for the chance to connect with you. That means that you and I are of great value to Him. So is the guy who cut you off in traffic and the woman who blocked the aisle at Wal-Mart, and the unbeliever whose actions spit in the face of everything that we hold dear. Those are all people that God values so much He suffered and died for the chance of connection, in hopes that they will one day respond to His love. Anyone the God of the universe values so highly is worthy of our great respect.
If we claim to follow Jesus we have no right to treat any person we encounter as though they are worthless and have no value. When we treat a person as though they are nothing and should be discarded we are saying that Christ came and died for nothing. To follow Jesus we are to obey Him and do as He did. What did He do? He died for people who could never deserve it, who by human standards would never be worth such a price. What did He command? Love.
Lord, let Your will reign in my life. Rule over my reactions to others. Help me to respond to those I encounter, even those who offend, irritate and hurt me with Your love and treat them as though they have great value, because Your actions prove that they do. Thank You for assigning all of us such worth. Amen.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Unshackled Moments ~ May 2 ~ Open Minded
The mind is like a parachute; it works much better when it’s open.
This is a popular saying, and there is some truth in it, but today it occurred to me that before accepting or dismissing such analogies I should carry it through. The idea behind this analogy seems obvious. If a person has to leave an aircraft while it's in the air, they need a parachute, and it doesn't work if it's not opened.
But let's go a step further and stipulate that it would be opened. Then what? Once opened, the canopy is released to catch the wind, but the lines that attach it to the person do more than just tie the two together. The lines restrict the canopy. The force the material into a certain shape so that it will work as intended and bring the user safely to the ground. If the chute is not restricted upon opening it won't catch the wind right and the resulting fall will likely end in death.
Yes, our minds are like parachutes and work better when opened, but let's not be so open minded that we plummet to destruction. The truth acts as a restricting line to the canopy of an open mind. With it, our open mind can be guided by the wind of the Spirit to soar safely in love, but without it we free fall until we are broken.
This is a popular saying, and there is some truth in it, but today it occurred to me that before accepting or dismissing such analogies I should carry it through. The idea behind this analogy seems obvious. If a person has to leave an aircraft while it's in the air, they need a parachute, and it doesn't work if it's not opened.
But let's go a step further and stipulate that it would be opened. Then what? Once opened, the canopy is released to catch the wind, but the lines that attach it to the person do more than just tie the two together. The lines restrict the canopy. The force the material into a certain shape so that it will work as intended and bring the user safely to the ground. If the chute is not restricted upon opening it won't catch the wind right and the resulting fall will likely end in death.
Yes, our minds are like parachutes and work better when opened, but let's not be so open minded that we plummet to destruction. The truth acts as a restricting line to the canopy of an open mind. With it, our open mind can be guided by the wind of the Spirit to soar safely in love, but without it we free fall until we are broken.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Unshackled Moments ~ May 1 ~ Life As A Motorcycle Wreck
I put in a full day's work and felt tired but satisfied. The anticipation of soon being home with my wife made me smile. I sent her a text and told her that I'd be heading home shortly, and the Holy Spirit impressed upon her the need to pray for my motorcycle ride home. She responded with obedience and concern. With obedience she prayed for me. Out of concern she returned my text that read, "I love you. Be safe."
I have learned to trust my wife's response to the feelings that the Spirit gives her and heeded her wishes for me to be careful. For the record I am generally a careful rider. There was a time that wasn't true. I was the daredevil adrenaline junkie blowing past cars at high speeds, pushing the boundaries of physics negotiating turns, threading the needle between cars and weaving in and out of traffic, But these days I actually have a life worth living without having to be on the edge of disaster to feel alive. In addition to that, I care if I live or die too. So today, I don't ride like a 20 year old with a death wish or an idiot who feels like I'm immortal. But after Leah's text I rode home with a little extra care.
I left my headphones in my pocket and rode without the distraction of the music I normally ride to. I took the route home that normally has the least amount of traffic and that I feel the most comfortable taking it easy and riding a little slower. Almost home, on the little black topped county road that leads to my house, I caught a flash of brown movement out of the corner of my eye. Less than a second later, before I could react, a doe bolted in front of me. It's not a good thing when a deer steps out in front of the car you're driving, but when you're on a motorcycle instead of in a car, it will really make your navel pucker.
I down shifted through the gears, making my engine scream but aiding the brakes in slowing the bike as quickly as possible while maintaining stability and keeping the bike up. Unfortunately I couldn't miss the deer and stay on the road. Not hitting the deer seemed more important than staying out of the ditch. But going into a ditch on a motorcycle is also not a great plan to stay safe and upright.
When the tires left the black top and hit the pine straw mulch I lost traction and actually increased speed. A voice inside my head screamed, "Pine tree! Pine tree! Pine tree!" There wasn't much chance of getting stopped in time. I released the front brake and locked up the back wheel. The rear end went out from under me and the bike went down. Instinct and the understanding of what happens when you get a leg trapped under a sliding motorcycle made me kick my left leg off the peg and move my body over to the right side of the bike.
When the deer moved onto the road in front of me, the situation moved out of my control. But in that split second there were still things I could do the down shifting, swerving, braking and getting in best position for the slide described above. But at that point the bike went down, things were completely out of my control. There was nothing I could do to even attempt to control the uncontrollable. I was along for the ride. Adrenaline flooded my system as my fear leveled up.
We don't like feeling out of control. Life being out of control is a constant. Control is an illusion. Normal day to day living is as out of control as the couple of seconds between my seeing the deer and going down. It's out of control, but there are things we can do to effect and direct things, to try to control the uncontrollable, because we need to maintain the illusion of control and to prevent the horrible feeling of not having control, to keep from facing that frightening truth that although we can effect things slightly here and there, there are times in life when we are simply along for the ride. What is, is. What will be will be. And there's nothing we can about it. It's frightening and frustrating. The more we try to hang onto control the more we realize that we have none and the more miserable, sickening, confusing and frustrating life can feel.
The bike came to a sudden stop, flinging me off. I sailed over the first part of the ditch and slammed into the embankment on the far side. No bones broke. Nothing seriously damaged at all. I had a miracle happen in answer to my wife's faithful obedience to pray. I could have easily been seriously hurt or killed. But my point is not my miracle, but rather that we can receive prayer that works, heed warnings and take care, follow directions and guidelines, do the right and safe things and still find ourselves in the middle of dangerous and potentially destructive situations that we have no hope of controlling.
So the issue is not do we surrender control of our life to God or keep it for ourselves. We can't control life. We can however surrender our desire for control. When we surrender the need to try to control life, the desire to control life, to God we stop trying to tweak things and give full maneuverability to the only One who can control life, the universe and everything. The situation may not change, but we can have peace and joy despite the circumstances when we learn to trust God and stop fighting for control that's forever out of reach anyway. Learning to accept God's control and stop trying to guide and tweak life has not been an easy lesson for me, and sometimes, usually when a metaphorical deer steps out in front of me and I'm afraid, I fail. But I have found that the more I let God have it and just do my best to stay in His will the more joy, peace and love I experience and the less anger and fear, regardless of the situation, circumstances and wrecks of life.
I have learned to trust my wife's response to the feelings that the Spirit gives her and heeded her wishes for me to be careful. For the record I am generally a careful rider. There was a time that wasn't true. I was the daredevil adrenaline junkie blowing past cars at high speeds, pushing the boundaries of physics negotiating turns, threading the needle between cars and weaving in and out of traffic, But these days I actually have a life worth living without having to be on the edge of disaster to feel alive. In addition to that, I care if I live or die too. So today, I don't ride like a 20 year old with a death wish or an idiot who feels like I'm immortal. But after Leah's text I rode home with a little extra care.
I left my headphones in my pocket and rode without the distraction of the music I normally ride to. I took the route home that normally has the least amount of traffic and that I feel the most comfortable taking it easy and riding a little slower. Almost home, on the little black topped county road that leads to my house, I caught a flash of brown movement out of the corner of my eye. Less than a second later, before I could react, a doe bolted in front of me. It's not a good thing when a deer steps out in front of the car you're driving, but when you're on a motorcycle instead of in a car, it will really make your navel pucker.
I down shifted through the gears, making my engine scream but aiding the brakes in slowing the bike as quickly as possible while maintaining stability and keeping the bike up. Unfortunately I couldn't miss the deer and stay on the road. Not hitting the deer seemed more important than staying out of the ditch. But going into a ditch on a motorcycle is also not a great plan to stay safe and upright.
When the tires left the black top and hit the pine straw mulch I lost traction and actually increased speed. A voice inside my head screamed, "Pine tree! Pine tree! Pine tree!" There wasn't much chance of getting stopped in time. I released the front brake and locked up the back wheel. The rear end went out from under me and the bike went down. Instinct and the understanding of what happens when you get a leg trapped under a sliding motorcycle made me kick my left leg off the peg and move my body over to the right side of the bike.
When the deer moved onto the road in front of me, the situation moved out of my control. But in that split second there were still things I could do the down shifting, swerving, braking and getting in best position for the slide described above. But at that point the bike went down, things were completely out of my control. There was nothing I could do to even attempt to control the uncontrollable. I was along for the ride. Adrenaline flooded my system as my fear leveled up.
We don't like feeling out of control. Life being out of control is a constant. Control is an illusion. Normal day to day living is as out of control as the couple of seconds between my seeing the deer and going down. It's out of control, but there are things we can do to effect and direct things, to try to control the uncontrollable, because we need to maintain the illusion of control and to prevent the horrible feeling of not having control, to keep from facing that frightening truth that although we can effect things slightly here and there, there are times in life when we are simply along for the ride. What is, is. What will be will be. And there's nothing we can about it. It's frightening and frustrating. The more we try to hang onto control the more we realize that we have none and the more miserable, sickening, confusing and frustrating life can feel.
The bike came to a sudden stop, flinging me off. I sailed over the first part of the ditch and slammed into the embankment on the far side. No bones broke. Nothing seriously damaged at all. I had a miracle happen in answer to my wife's faithful obedience to pray. I could have easily been seriously hurt or killed. But my point is not my miracle, but rather that we can receive prayer that works, heed warnings and take care, follow directions and guidelines, do the right and safe things and still find ourselves in the middle of dangerous and potentially destructive situations that we have no hope of controlling.
So the issue is not do we surrender control of our life to God or keep it for ourselves. We can't control life. We can however surrender our desire for control. When we surrender the need to try to control life, the desire to control life, to God we stop trying to tweak things and give full maneuverability to the only One who can control life, the universe and everything. The situation may not change, but we can have peace and joy despite the circumstances when we learn to trust God and stop fighting for control that's forever out of reach anyway. Learning to accept God's control and stop trying to guide and tweak life has not been an easy lesson for me, and sometimes, usually when a metaphorical deer steps out in front of me and I'm afraid, I fail. But I have found that the more I let God have it and just do my best to stay in His will the more joy, peace and love I experience and the less anger and fear, regardless of the situation, circumstances and wrecks of life.
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