One quick question for today:
When have you let go of your life — given up control — and seen it soar in unimaginable ways?
And yes, I’ll go first:
When I stopped fighting God about my past — what was and what wasn’t the truth … whether I could handle it or whether I’d crumble beneath the weight of it all … if I’d believe God would be sufficient or not — that was the first step to my life becoming more than I ever imagined.
Okay, now it’s your turn: what did you do to soar?
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Comments 14
I’ve never soared. God knows I wanted to, but it wasn’t in the cards.
I’m not complaining. I wouldn’t change things, because I think I’ve done some good.
Kind of interesting – whenever I think “I wish THIS had happened”, another picture comes to mind – that of taking away the nice things I’ve tried to give others. Taking them away so what I could achieve MY potential.
Or the potential I wanted. That may be more accurate.
In the end, to quote Philip Hunter, “We have been given the place of honor, and we must accept it.”
Soaring or not.
Author
I dunno, Andrew … maybe your perspective is off. Maybe you’re soaring and you just don’t realize it.
Sometimes we don’t see the value of our actions — how others see us, how God sees us — as we go about our day to day living.
We’re soaring when we think all we are doing is putting one step in front of the other.
Could be. I’ll have to think about that.
But either way, it’s all right. When one does one’s best under the circumstances at hand, “having done all”, it’s committed to the Big Fella’s hands. And that’s all one need do.
Soaring, walking, or hanging on a Cross, to truly live is to fully serve.
Working with some of the biggest hardships in my life made me stronger than I intended being. I hear that broken bones heal stronger than they were before. In that same way, God turns weaknesses into strengths and the seasoned ability to connect with a wide range of people and encourage. The process and training are so worth it.
Author
Dee:
Broken bones healing stronger than they were before … well, there’s some encouraging news.
And yes, God does turn weaknesses into strengths because he says in our weakness he is strong.
Giving up a lucrative career to raise my kids made me soar. I felt my life path going in a different direction, and I’m thankful I didn’t listen to the lure of money. Raising children isn’t glamorous, and most people do a good job of it, but I’m extremely thankful I was blessed to be the main influence in their lives.
Author
Amen and amen, Jill!
I believe I am who I am today because I chose to be a mom. I have been shaped by motherhood more than any other experience of my life. It revealed both my strengths … and my weaknesses.
Love this, Beth, and I’m thinking today it applies to my story. If I want the story I’m working on to soar, I need to stop trying to control it…hands off, Melissa! Just let the story tell itself. 🙂
In my everyday life, I’ve actually got a couple things going on at the moment that I’m trying to stay “hands-off” with…I’m trying anyway. Because I KNOW when I stop trying to figure things and just let God work, that’s truly when I will soar. Which sounds like a bunch of pretty words, but it’s actually the truth.
Author
This does apply to writing, Melissa. We wrestle with those words on the page, want them to say “Uncle” — but really, we need to relax and let the story have breathing space … and it will become a more true story.
I think I began to soar when a friend with the gift of prophecy shared with me something God showed her about me. As soon as she shared it, my eyes were opened to how a childhood wound had affected my whole life. As I brought it to God, He began to show me how to move beyond it. I’m not totally free of that wound, but it doesn’t control my thoughts, words and behaviors as it once did. It’s also helped me to become more secure in who God made me to be.
Author
Ah, the honest truth, shared by a trusted friend who is being used by God.
Yes — it can be life-changing!
I remember sitting in a banquet dinner waiting for the winner of a contest to be announced. And God whispered in my ear, “This isn’t in my plan for you.” And then being so happy for the person who He had it planned for. Really happy for her. Was I disappointed that I didn’t win? A small part of me was, sure. But just knowing God had a plan for me allowed me to release control of my life to him. Even though I didn’t win that night, I soared.
Beth, I’m so proud of you. Letting go of all that stuff… it’s a daunting challenge, or should I say mountain? Anyway, you did it! And look at you soaring now!
Letting go for me was releasing control of where I thought my life should go. Wait. It was letting go of where I thought my life should go. Trusting that God’s plans were THE BEST for me, even if I didn’t have a hint at what they were (besides that I would marry a God-fearing Christian guy someday, that much I’d been promised). Stepping into the unknown mystery of my life was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. There are no handrails. No light bulbs or lamps lighting the way. It feels like walking in the darkest cave sometimes. But then, the sweetest thing happens. God drops the scales from my eyes for a few moments and gives me a glimpse, however slight, of where He’s leading me. And that sight is always beautiful. It’s enough to spur me on to the next difficult phase. Boy, do they ever get hard! Through it all, God is my Rock, my Comfort, my Steady Shepherd, my Safe Haven. One day, I’ll reach the end of my race. In the meantime, I’ll keep letting go and trusting Him.
Blessings,
Andrea
Proofreader/Writer
writingtoinspire.blogspot.com
I teach snow skiing, and human nature is to lean up the hill and shove our feet below us when things get steep. The end result is never good. But when I and my students can release our fear enough to let our heart (the core of the body) lead the way down the hill, our feet follow behind us, turn effortlessly, and we soar down the steep at a safe speed.