I know, O Lord, that the way of human beings is not in their control, that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps. Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure; not in your anger, or you will bring me to nothing. (Jeremiah 10: 23-24)
Sometimes it feels like things are falling apart around me and I don’t have control over anything. Living in a house with 3 other adults and 2 dogs, life often feels messy and hectic and chaotic. Three blocks west of my house, noise from the famous I-35W/Hwy 62 Crosstown reconstruction project, which began in June of 2007 and is scheduled to be completed in December of 2010, is constant and traffic is jammed on 35W even when I come home on Sunday afternoon or Wednesday night at 8:00.
The uncertain economy, terrorism and war, global warming, it’s no wonder I wake up at night in a cold sweat. All is not right with the world, and apparently there is nothing I can do about it!
Yesterday was Reformation Day in the Lutheran Church. We celebrated our Lutheran “birthday” and our realization, thanks to Martin Luther, that God is in control and we are not. Dick Rice, our visiting preacher and director of spiritual care at The Retreat in Wayzata, spoke about our human need to be in control. He called our desire to change things that we cannot change pride and arrogance. Who are we, he asked, that we think we can do work that belongs to God?
When we finally realize most things in this world are not in our control, only then can we rest in the love and grace of God in Jesus Christ. As everything around us changes, even as it falls apart, we can remember that it is only God who never changes. God is the solid ground upon which we stand. Then our hearts and minds can find peace in this chaotic world. God has something great planned for us in this life, but that is not all there is. God has something even greater planned for us – something beyond this life, beyond this messy world.
Following her divorce from Lance Armstrong, Kristin Armstrong turned to God for courage and strength. Her daily devotional has been helpful to several of my friends, and although I haven’t personally experienced the pain of divorce, I have found many of her reflections comforting.
She writes, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8) He is our Rock. He is in the boat with us, calm and steady despite the turbulent seas. We can look forward to the future with unwavering confidence when we approach it from solid ground. We don’t need to fear change when we know it cannot disturb the peace at our core. If the circumstances surrounding us are unsteady, we cannot waste our energy attempting to control them. But we can focus on our efforts inside, allowing Christ to change and fortify us. We can work on our core, on our own personal steadiness. Perhaps we can’t change where we are, but we can change how we respond while we are here. (p. 285, Happily Ever After, Armstrong, 2007)
