Giving Up Control

by Pastor Wade

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

I had to drink my coffee a little quicker on the Boundary Waters trip last week…

I had to drink my coffee a little quicker on the Boundary Waters trip last week. If I didn’t it was soon cold! Even the non-coffee drinkers in our group were scrounging around in the packs for hot-chocolate or “something warm” to drink when we ventured into the new day! It’s hard to believe, but on Friday morning we even had snow flurries blowing around us. Somehow we endured! And again had a refreshing time together reflecting on and enjoying God’s goodness in the creation that surrounded us.
As I was sitting on a rock with my coffee and my devotions, however, I found myself thinking about home…praying for my family to be sure…but wondering how it was going. Cell phones don’t keep us in touch up in the boundary waters and that is okay and even good, but I’ve grown accustomed to knowing what is going on in my family’s life. So I wondered, how was it going back home? How was my son’s wrist healing from surgery? How was my daughter’s weekend out with her friends? (The whole independent driving thing still works on me.) How was it going for my wife keeping up with all the activities? Yes, I was worrying a bit…and not being able to be in touch made it harder. How dependent have I gotten upon cell phones and constant communication? What a difference for this generation in which we live.
But I also caught myself thinking, “What small worries I have compared to some of my friends who are sending their sons and daughters off to college and now feel really disconnected, or even more so, those who have sent sons and daughters (and spouses) to Afghanistan or Iraq and other far flung places in service of our country. How must they feel? Or even those whose sons and daughters have long been out of the home and who live some distance away and with whom visits are rare – perhaps only once or twice a year.” How do we let them go? Are we ever done parenting, or being concerned or worrying? Some of you who have done this a bit longer than me have told me “no.” We are always parents.
Others of you have been at this a bit longer and have learned what Paul invites us to do in the above verse from Philippians…to trust…to do your best in raising your kids… to impart your faith and your best wisdom (even when they are not sure they want it)… to pray every day for their protection and for guidance and for power for their living…and then finally to let them go – to trust these we love ever and always into the hands of our heavenly Father who loves them every bit as much as we do and who is able to keep them better and longer than we can.
Sometime (probably more often than I care to admit) Jesus needs to remind me that I can’t take care of everything. I need to give up control. Sometimes (more often than I care to admit) I need to hear the Lord say to say to me, “Quite worrying. Trust me…so that [my] peace that passes understanding might guard your heart and mind.” Maybe you need to hear the same word from Jesus. If so…I offer it to you again!

Learning and growing with you,

Pastor Wade

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