As month 5 on the Race comes to a close, I am amazed at how the Lord has moved in my heart from August 8th until now. Each month God has taught me more about His character, His heart, His goodness, and His reckless love for humanity.
Back in month 2 (Nepal), one of my teammates encouraged me with the phrase “keep a loose grip on your life”. She challenged me to think about everything and everyone I deeply love and the things I desire in life and to bring them before God with hands wide open to allow Him to do with them what He wishes.
At this time in my life I felt like I had already surrendered everything in my life to Jesus. I was on the World Race for crying out loud! I had already let go of my family, friends, and every earthly/American comfort you could think of to go on this thing…God, what else do I have to let go of?
The dreams of moving back to Nashville after the Race?
Let it go.
The thought and desire of marriage?
Let it go.
The job opportunities that are lining up out of nowhere?
Let it go.
The fear of the unknown future?
Let it go. I have it all planned out better than you can imagine.
So I have. I’ve let it all go. My dreams, my plans, my desires, my wants, my loves…I’ve taken every single thing I have tried to control and hold so tightly and brought them before the Lord with open hands saying, “Thy will be done. I surrender.”
And you know what happened after I held out my hands to the Lord? I felt free. I felt a rush of energy and excitement and joy knowing that my life is truly an open space for the Lord to have His way in me.
There is joy to be found in the unknown. There is risk in letting go and letting God have full control over every aspect of your life. But I’ve also found that having open hands and open heart before God is the quickest way to step into the next space the Lord has for you. It doesn’t mean the journey to get “there”—wherever “there” is—will be easy….but it does mean that you’re giving God space to finally be God.
He knows what He’s doing.
