There is much in life I cannot control. The forward progress of the calendar. The rising and setting of the sun. The weather and the seasons. The choices of others. The constancy of change. The political, economic, or even religious climate. And, personally, I can be overwhelmed when I can’t control the issues in my own small world, and I can isolate myself, turn depressively inward, concentrate on the reflections of self in the mirror, and throw up my hands cause “there ain’t nothing I can do about it!”
Yes, God encourages a dependence on Himself in response to the knowledge that all of our answers are found in Him. The word and action of “dependence” though is key to that statement of truth. I start with God-dependence and I maintain God-dependence, connecting all the dots from the raw honesty and vulnerability of my spirit, to the realities that threaten, or simply are void of the dreams I have pursued. And then, God-dependence opens my heart, my eyes, and my reasoning to see the options, the choices, the provisions God lays out before me.
The man caught up in his religiosity climbed to the top of his roof to escape the rising floodwaters. His neighbor offered him a canoe ride. The police had a still bigger boat. The helicopter dangled a rope ladder to climb to safety. The floodwaters continued to rise, and the man drowned. Later, in Heaven, he had a question for God. God, why didn’t You save me from the floodwaters?
The man’s dependence was on God, but he never opened his eyes or his thinking to the provision God was trying to make. I need to keep my heart, my eyes, and my reasoning open to what God is providing. Sometimes we do have choices in how we respond to all the issues in our own small world, even when that small world seems overwhelming. Some choices are more obvious. Faced with health needs, I can choose to ignore them, walk the maze of diagnostic testing, remember to take my meds, and choose or not choose to follow the doctor’s suggestion of surgery or other medical treatment. With rampant emotions and distorted thinking, I can choose to keep looking in the mirror, or I can ask God for His perspective, and find the counsel of a friend or even a professional. In my relationships, forgiveness is a choice that gives more to the giver than the recipient, and the choice is always there to build bridges or build walls, and bridge building can be constructed in a myriad of ways. Grief is real and valid, and it is part of the healthy journey we walk when death separates us from a loved one, but there are still choices we can make. Will we walk our journey with God and with others? Will we look for the good amidst the tragedy? We can be intentional, or not, in finding purpose after loss – purpose that will help us heal even as we help others and remember and honor our loved one. And tragedy, loss, or the constancy of change can all leave us stagnant, sensing aloneness in the darkness, blind to the choices God provides. The prodigal or special needs child. Finances that won’t stretch any more. Unmet expectations. Rejection. The failures of others. Although I can’t dictate my circumstances, my God-dependence often opens choices for responding. And if you see little in the choices God is giving you, the promise of His grace-filled presence is always yours.
Father, keep my heart, my eyes, my reasoning, open to the choices You lay before me. Help me willingly choose to make those choices that will unfold Your best for me, even when life is overwhelming.
– Bev
(Related Bible reading: Proverbs 3:5,6; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
