Encouragement

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Recently I was in a situation where I was working hard to make changes in a certain area of my life. I spent months working hard to make sure things went smoothly and stayed on schedule, and developed a network of contacts to make sure everything was flowing along smoothly. Then one day, it all fell apart. A single meeting unraveled it all and I was curtly informed that it would not happen at this time.

Naturally, I was disappointed and angry. I was frustrated with people that I felt dropped the ball and didn't keep promises. I was angry that all of my work was for nothing. But most of all, I was discouraged by the nagging feeling that I completely lost control of my life.

I was praying over my morning coffee about this situation when I realized that I had fallen prey to a typical trap that all humans seem to fall into: The trap of control. We believe we have complete control over our lives. We think that if we work long enough and push hard enough, then we can make anything happen. It takes a major disappointment to make us realize that God is ultimately in control. Then we're left to pick up the pieces of shattered expectations and heal the emotional wounds of thinking we can do it all ourselves.

This is a particularly difficult lesson to swallow. Being let down never feels good. The important thing to remember is that God is ultimately in control, and we would be wise to trust His leading. We need to realize that when we push for something and it doesn't happen, it failed because the Lord didn't allow it to succeed. He wants to redirect us to a better path that will lead to greater blessings than we could work out for ourselves.

As I was working through this situation in my mind, I remembered the story of Moses. I recalled how God hardened Pharoh's heart toward the Hebrews to show His glory. It occured to me that perhaps the people and situations I was working so hard on failed because God wanted them to fail. What seemed like a right path was wrong. God caused things to fall apart because He wants something different for my life.

I'm not angry with God over this situation. I still have to deal with disappointment, but I trust that He is redirecting my steps to a better path. I've been reminded to have humility and submit all things in prayer. I trust Him and will walk in faith where He leads. I'm not completely sure where that is now, but I know it will be the best place for me.

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