Letting Go

‘Be still and know that I am God’ is part of a scripture that we so easily quote to focus someone on God in times of turmoil. But I realised that to let go and trust God is hard when you feel everything is falling apart and you have no control of the situation. I experienced that during a difficult season with one of our children. I honestly thought that, if I raised my children according to God’s Word and His ways, things would work out well. But I was not taking the worldly influence into account.

For me it was hard to trust and stand back when I saw the destruction taking place in his life. I just wanted to dive in and sort everything out, but nothing that I said or did seemed to be right. No direction was wanted and called for, and it even felt that, whatever I prayed, was not effective.

In the midst of the turmoil I came to the end of myself and called out to the Lord, asking, “Where are You, Lord? What have I done wrong, and what more could I do and pray? What am I missing?” It was like saying, God, please give me a method. But the answer did not lie in a self help method. God spoke to my heart and said, “Don’t focus on a recipe. Focus on Me, the Maker of the ingredients of the recipe”.

By choosing to turn my focus away from the issue at hand, and look to God, He could take over and work things out for the good of all. I shifted my focus from the circumstances and my child towards God. I stopped complaining and started to love more, giving my child unconditional love. I had to learn to hold my tongue and not say a word, just to love and trust.

Was it just a once-off choice. No way! I had to choose repeatedly, on a daily, even hourly basis to speak out aloud, “I trust You, Lord, even if I don’t understand. Here is my child. You know best, and You know the plans You have for him.” I had to choose to trust in God and not in what I saw.

And yes, the great news is He did come through for us. God was the one that opened my child’s eyes. He kept on drawing my child with cords of love towards Him. This beloved child met His Saviour. Not only did he hear about the Saviour through us and others. He chose Him for himself. It was not a religion any more, but a relationship. He is sold out to his Heavenly Father, running with Him and seeking His face for every choice he makes. People close to him can really testify that there was a change of heart. “Surely God is good and faithful.” And whether we want to hear it or not, we must sometimes let go and trust God for He is the God who sees. He sees the bigger picture.

Prayer: Beloved Father, thank You that You are the One who loves each one of us unconditionally and that You are in control. Forgive me for the times that I didn’t trust You enough and wanted to take control of a life that You created, thinking that I could do better. Thank You, my Beloved Father, for showing me that Your heart is absolutely for us and not against us. You are the God who sees. In Jesus’ name, Amen.