It looked like such fun as I seated myself on the sled at
the top of the snowy hill. Fun quickly turned to fear as I careened down the
steep grade, hanging on “for dear life” to the grips on the sides of the
saucer. With nothing but a thin layer of plastic between me and the packed
snow, my body jarred with every bump and hump along the slippery slope. I tried
to control my descent by leaning first one direction and then the other, but only
managed to make the ride more terrifying. As I approached the bottom, screaming
at the top of my voice, the ground leveled off and the saucer gradually slowed.
I rolled off, gasping my gratitude to be alive, panting with adrenaline and
exertion.
Sometimes life can feel like that sled ride. As we stand at
the precipice of a new year, many of us are thinking about the future. What
will these 365 days hold? Some of us lean forward with anticipation; others hold
back with dread.
We try our best to keep control of all the different aspects
of our lives—finances, relationships, health—but some days we feel as out of
control as I did that wintry afternoon, hurtling down the steep hill on a
flimsy saucer.
But we don’t have to feel that way. Proverbs 16:9 says we
make our plans but God directs our lives. When we submit to God, and truly
believe that He is in control, we have the freedom to let go of our fears,
anxieties, dread, and desperate need to be in charge. Someone Else is leading
the way. Someone Else is responsible. And that powerful and loving Someone has
a plan—a plan for peace and not disaster, plans to give us a future filled with
hope. (Jeremiah 29: 11)
As we enter 2018, I pray that we can fully trust in God’s perfect
plan for us. I pray that the Holy Spirit would enable us to sit back and enjoy
the ride. And at the end, may we roll off with a loud “Whew! Thank you, Jesus!”
as laughter bubbles up and spills out for all the world to see how great is our
God!
Blessings!
Pam
©2018 Pamela D. Williams
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