Sometimes my temper goes before my brain. I mean really your brain is hardwired like that, to react first and ask questions later. It’s good news if you have your hand on a hot stove, not as great if you say or do things you later regret.
Basic neuro stuff coupled with red hair makes me ripe for shooting first and asking questions later. And as you can imagine, sometimes gets me in trouble.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned the power of the pause. In that breath, those few seconds where you are just allowing whatever happened to soak in and process, you’re giving rational brain a chance to catch up. He gets a chance to reign monkey brain in. He hopefully keeps your foot out of your mouth.
Maybe what I’m learning in this season is I don’t have to fight every battle. I don’t have to even go to every fight I’m invited to. I don’t always need to protect or vindicate or do any of the mama bear things I want to do. Sometimes it is time to fight.
But sometimes it’s time to be still and let the Lord fight. He’s better at it than I am anyway.
Maybe in that, we find the calling to let God’s peace do what God’s peace does…calm our hearts, still our minds, trust Him in what is happening.
And there’s that trust thing again. The other thing he is teaching me in this season. I can trust him. I can trust that he won’t misuse my trust. I can trust that everything is for my good and his glory, eventually, though I may not understand in this moment.
I don’t know where we are going or what comes next. I don’t have to have all the answers. He’s enough so I don’t have to be, and there’s something liberating in that simple fact.
There is so much around that can cause anxiety, things that are real and things that are just imaginary bears in the woods. There isn’t a lot that brings peace except for God who is just waiting for me to allow him to bring me peace.
All he is waiting for is us to say I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t even know where to start. Maybe it’s time to just curl up in his lap and let his peace do what his peace does.
May we be thankful for the things he’s brought us through, grateful for the mercies of today, and walk in the assurance that he’s got tomorrow too. Maybe it’s just time to rest for a while.
This Season.... 