I have to admit, I’m a bit of a control freak. I like my life organized, predictable, and exquisitely planned. I will expend significant energy and resources to minimize chaos. But as you all can predict, this is a fool’s errand – the unexpected should be expected. I grasp that the more I try to control my life and the circumstances around my life, the more I realize that there are SO many factors that are out of my control. Job, health, finances, relationships, ministry, demands of time, people (from family and friends, to co-workers, to chance strangers that you encounter), all seemingly predictable or in control, can spiral out of control at the drop of a hat. We all have (or will have) experienced sudden, life-changing, life-altering news.

But here’s where I take refuge in knowing God’s in control: the authority of God, the sovereignty of God, the omnipotence of God, doesn’t guarantee a predictable life; but it does promise one where God is looking after me and my own good. So, when life throws a curveball, when my life takes a sudden detour, when I can’t see order in the chaos, even when I don’t understand what’s going on and why, I know this: God loves me and cares for me. That’s enough for me.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT