Open Hands

So many decisions to make and so much to do. So many opportunities in this crazy world. It’s can be all good and so much to balance, but exciting and exhausting and challenging and it can all make for a full life. The thing is.. for much of my life there was no boundary. There were no limits and my busy life was rolling along with days and years passing with feelings of being out of control and somehow, though I loved Jesus and trusted Him, I was so tired and I was empty.

A decision will be made this coming week about our daughter’s schooling through a random lottery system at a new, local charter school. Thoughts of someone else holding her future in their hands by the random draw of a number sometimes makes me want to just throw up. My husband and I talked about it. “Well, if she gets in then we will go with it right? It’s so random. Is this the right choice?”

Is that how life is? A random draw and choices are made? We see an opportunity and so we just walk through the door? Where does God come in to all of this?

For a follower of Christ nothing happens by chance. Our pastor said this past week, “If Jesus isn’t Lord of your life, then He can’t be Savior. He HAS to be LORD first.” I looked up Lord and it literally means “master, control, to have power over others.”

When I think about Jesus and His ability to calm wind and waves, calm storms and call someone out onto water… He is LORD over that. He is Lord over sin and death and He conquered the grave.

He is Lord of the elements and Lord of certain chaos like a storm that can bring destruction and great harm… a storm in our lives.

I think about my own natural abilities… Ok, I can talk a lot. I am good at that. I can sing a little. I can decorate and put colors together and I can be creative.

Um. None of that says “Lord” to me. No ability that I possess, though given to me by God Himself, qualifies me to be “Master, in control or have power over others.”

So while this world just spins at top speed in so many directions that it makes your head spin,  and while I have no ability to control any of it there’s one scripture that just gets me every time.

It’s Col. 1:16-17 and it says, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers of authorities- all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Do you see that? He is LORD of the rulers and authorities! He is Lord of those that we see as important and as leaders… He’s the master of them!!! He is Lord of the HEAVEN and the Earth and He is Lord of things that we can’t even see!! He is in CONTROL and holds all things together, and I am NOT and I don’t HAVE to be!!

Whew. That’s a relief.

“Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

It is now with open hands that I have learned to come to Him. What do I have to offer? I can not see what the future holds and only know that today the wind blows and the rain falls, but He? He is God. He holds all of that in His mighty and loving hands to give to me as I need it.

I come with open hands because I know that what He brings will not overwhelm me or cause me to be so busy that I can’t have boundaries and priorities in my life.

I come with open hands because I want to be ready to receive whatever He has for me, and I want nothing else to be there that might hinder His will in my life.

There’s so much freedom when someone else is in charge, isn’t there? I don’t have to worry that the right decision will be made because I know that the ONE who created the heavens and the earth can handle this small life of mine. How do I think I am so important as to be in control of anything?! Oh, I have so far to go, but in the mean time I am going to keep working on coming to Him with open hands.