Who's in Charge Here?

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

I can’t imagine how different my life would be if I didn’t have the supportive friends that I have today. Being a full-time mom and wife is really hard. Sometimes a friend’s encouraging words give me the extra boost I need to survive a rough day. My friends are generous and compassionate. They Love Jesus and they help me stay focused on Him.

Friends search for the right words to help one another when we face the scary parts of life. Sometimes we tell each other, “Don’t forget – God won’t give you more than you can handle!”

I love that my friends think I can “handle” it, but something about this always makes me think twice. It’s only recently that I really thought long and hard about this. I have been reading a book about the early Lutheran church and I have been reminded of my “inability to save myself.” Sure, I have a tendency to want to be in control, to attempt to fix the messes I’ve made, to think I’ve got it figured out. But I’m reminded – when I lose patience with my daughter, start worrying about the bills, or feel overwhelmed /dismayed with the laundry – that I have a long way to go.

I can’t “handle” it, and I started to think that God doesn't want ME to handle it. Where does He want me to go when I get frustrated? To whom should I take my worries? How can I dig my way out of this pile of laundry? Certainly I do not have these answers.

I just started the chapter called The Spirituality of Ordinary Life. As moms, I think many of us feel called to the very special, “ordinary” job of raising our kids. It involves sticky messes, excessive whining, bodily fluids, and sibling arguments. It’s exhausting and some days we might not feel like we can keep it together.

But God wants to strengthen and uphold me in my ordinary job. He wants to pull me up out of the stickiness and give me the right words to say to my babies. He wants me to pray without ceasing. He wants to “handle it” for me.

There are a lot of moms facing tough days ahead. Worry can be a heavy burden to carry all alone. Our friends are there to help us; but the friend we need the most is our Jesus. He tells us to give it to Him. He will carry us; He will move in our hearts and minds and take care of our families. He can pick me up, and all my messes, and I don’t have to “take care of” everything. God can handle it for me.

Today, Let God Handle It.

Lord, I give you my day. I give you my worries, my anxiety, my stresses. I can’t handle it, Lord. It doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to be a mom. It doesn’t mean I’m going to have a bad day. It means I’m going to give it to you. I’m going to rest in your arms, refer decision-making to you, and seek out the Joy you earned for me. Thank you, Lord, that YOU can handle it. Amen.