I used to believe that I was completely responsible for my destiny. If I did all the right things, spoke all the right words, served sacrificially, went to church each Sunday, offered up prayers, and had a quiet time every morning that I was destined to receive God’s best. I could make it all happen. I was completely in control of my life.
What I neglected to realize was that I was attempting to live a “godly life” without God. Sure, I knew all the right things to do and say. My heart was in the right place but I was trying to offer to God what I believed He wanted from me without even asking Him.
When the unthinkable happens, the death of a loved one or another tragic loss occurs and you are completely depleted of resources, having nothing left to give, you begin to realize that you were never really in control at all. It is in those difficult moments of surrender that God shows up to remind you that He is there. He loves you and desires to bandage your wounds and show you a new way.
This Christmas season, if you are struggling under the burden of grief, feeling lost and alone, may God speak and reveal the depth of His love for you. Allow Him to carry your burdens and lead you into life anew. There is hope in Him.
Living with Hope,
Carol Marchant Gibbs
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