sometimes: a reminder

Sometimes life is hard.

But sometimes, life is harder.

Sometimes you make mistakes and have to go back and apologize, and hope they forgive you, no matter how much you think they won’t.

But sometimes you do everything right, and they still hate you.

Sometimes you recognize you did something wrong and restitution has to be made.

But sometimes you get counsel, you seek scripture, you share truth–but you still won’t change their mind.

Sometimes you blow it and think about it for days and weeks on end, constantly feeling guilty.

But sometimes you do the best you can, have the best intentions, and phrase things in the best possible way, and constantly feel guilty. . . because somehow, they treat you like you blew it.

Sometimes – oftentimes – you’ll want to go back and do things differently, say different things or just the same things in a different way, try harder to change their mind, be more confident so they don’t know they got to you.

But sometimes – pretty much every time – the best thing you can do is give it to God. He knows the hurt, the guilt, the frustration, the desire to go back and change what happened. He holds every moment and knows the beginning from the end. He didn’t stop being sovereign for a minute or hour or day or week. And He can redeem whatever it is you’re overthinking about, feeling guilty over, or wishing you could change or erase.

Sometimes all you can do is put the situation back in God’s hands, where it belongs and where it has always been. It is hard to let go of situations you want to control, but you were never in control to begin with. Give it to God and let it be.

But sometimes it’s easier said than done. It’s easier to hold on with a tight fist and say through gritted teeth, “I can fix this.” But it is always always always better to give it to God.

Sometimes life will come crashing down on you with angry hailstones and lighting that scares your pants off and thunder that makes you want to cower inside your safe cave of solitude and never leave.

But sometimes you have to do the hard thing, crawl out of your cave, brave the wind and rain, and trust that our God in the calm is still God in the storm.

Sometimes life is hard.

But sometimes life is harder.

At all times, our solid Rock, our firm Foundation, our Cornerstone, is as unwavering and faithful as ever. Relinquish your control to the One who holds all things together.

 

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:16-17