Relax

Every time I’ve made a specific plan for my life, it hasn’t worked out. Every time I’ve said I would never do something, I ended up doing it. I’ve finally come to a point where I don’t force anything.

As someone who loves to plan, prepare, and always be on the move, this is really difficult.

Once, I spent a night off the grid in Mexico. I’d just narrowly escaped sexual assault. It was terrifying. I had nowhere to go, and I knew no one. I lied awake wondering how I would even make it. God was in the reassuring stillness of the morning and I enjoyed the rest of my trip.

We don’t know what’s going to happen! And we are fearsome beings. But we are not The Being. We are not The King. Trust me, I like to think I am. But it’s just not the case.

One of the greatest freedoms is recognizing that we have no responsibility for external circumstances.

There are too many factors! Things have plans contradictory to ours: other humans, nature, God, etc. We must choose to fight this, or accept it.

Look at this: "I have a word for you who brashly announce, ‘Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.’ You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow…Instead, make it a habit to say, ‘If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.’" (James 4:13-15, The Message)

We are not in control. Relax and trust. Take the pressure off yourself. You are too valuable to be stressed out.