WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

I'll be honest with you, roller coasters scare the beans right out of me.  It's not the "ultra speedy-twisty-uppy-downy-barfy" thing that bothers me, and it's really not the "hanging by your nails while your perched atop a rail (200 feet in the air) thing" that bothers me either.  It's the fact that I'm not driving! 

How dopey does that sound?  But like I said in the first sentence, "I'll be honest with you".  The fact that I'm not driving is the same thing that bothers me about flying. Now, I'm no neophyte when it comes to air travel.  I've logged several hundred thousand air miles in my life. But I have reached a point that I would just as soon take a covered wagon across the country as an airplane.  It's not the fear of being suspended at 30,000 feet in a sealed metal tube that concerns me.  Turbulence?  Not a problem. I get turbulence, it's like potholes for airplanes.  Doesn't scare me.  You know what really scares me? That I'm not behind the wheel...or the yoke...or the joystick...or whatever they call the thing that steers a plane.

Isn't that the same thing we're all just a little afraid of?  I'm not talking roller coasters and airplanes.  I mean, not being in control of our lives.  The biggest part of life-change for all of us occurs when we give up trying to control everything, and allow God to exercise His will in our lives.  Saying, "Okay God, I really, really like being in charge of my life - making my own decisions, doing pretty much what I want to do - but I'm giving up control to You".

I've noticed something that happens when we do things like that.  We're okay.  We make it.  God doesn't allow our lives to come flying off the track.  He doesn't allow us to auger into the ground, either.  (Two things we are always able to do if at any time we should desire to be back in control of everything).

Maybe you're different than me.  But I have found that my level of unease and difficulty in life is directly proportionate to the level of control I have given over to God.  Since Leslie and I have WHOLLY stepped into pastoring Crossroads (not an overnight decision, by the way) we feel two things: 1. Like we are strapped to a rocket we are not in control of, 2. Like we are completely safe and at peace.

What an unlikely combination.  What a remarkable God!  I encourage you to challenge yourself by taking new kinds of risks.  Not the same old "risks" where we all know the outcome in advance (Like...um...a roller coaster doesn't actually GO anywhere) but the kind of risk where we risk something really dear to us - like pride, lifestyle, future plans.  There's a great trade-off here: When we allow God to take control of the course of our life, He also takes responsibility for getting us to our life-destination!  We may not always know where we are going, and while we're traveling, we may not always know why.  But we have the confidence of knowing that all of His plans and purposes for our lives are good!

Maybe you're in control, and everything in your life is just groovy.  You're not looking to upset the apple-cart.  That's cool.  Do your thing.  Nothing remotely wrong with that.  But if you want more - I mean more peace, more direction, more out of life - get strapped to the rocket, and get ready for REAL adventure.  Together, let's put the burden for the outcome on God.  Let's put God in control of our lives, and watch what He does with them.  Hey, it's okay if you're nervous, bring a crash helmet and a barf bag, you'll be fine.