If you’ve been here a while, yesterday’s quote sounded familiar.
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have – AND TRUST JESUS FOR THE OUTCOME.
Recently, I sat at a table with some men. We were invited by the speaker to share places in our lives where we have trouble releasing control.
No one seemed eager to start, so I waded in. I said I have a hard time with not being able to control the progression of my injury. As I get older, it’s inevitable that my spinal cord injury will slowly deteriorate. I don’t like it. I want to control it. I can’t.
I shared all that, and the general response (in a very kind way) was, “Well, you just have to give it to Jesus.”
I wondered, in that moment, if throwing scrambled eggs might be appropriate.
I don’t mean to disparage my friends. I probably shared something too intense for the circumstances, and they simply didn’t know what to say.
But it does highlight the point – TRUST is the hard part. American culture especially conditions us to get stuff done. To be accountable. To take control.
At least for me, doing all I can and then trusting Jesus for the outcome is remarkably difficult.
I think about the kids at the Home of Hope, all the trauma they’ve endured. Imagine one of those little angels describing their horrific experiences, and replying, “Just give it to Jesus.”
I’m thinking the way we learn to trust him is by building a community willing to do life together. That’s how he did it. Along the way, we can keep reminding each other to do our best, while always remembering we don’t control the outcome.
In that sort of community, it’s safe to remind each other that authentic peace comes from trusting Jesus.