Let.It.Go. A book by Karen Ehman. I am getting ready to start a new Online Bible Study through Melissa Taylor's OBS and Proverbs 31 Ministries!
Here's a sample from the back of the book cover:
"The housework. The meals. The kids. Many women are wired to control. But trying to control everything can be exhausting, and it can also cause friction with your friends and family.
This humorous, yet thought-provoking book guides you as you discover the freedom and reward of living life "out of control", in which you allow God to be seated in the rightful place in your life. Armed with relevant biblical and current examples (both to emulate and to avoid), doable ideas, new thought patterns, and practical tools to implement, Let. It. Go. will gently lead you out of the land of over control into a place of quiet trust."
So nervous about this idea of just letting it go! And I just read beautiful words written on the inside cover from my previous OBS leader, Karen...just made me cry! I love you Karen and I am so blessed to have you in my life my dear and beautiful sister in Christ!
I think the thing I struggle with the most is even knowing how to Let It Go. How do I give up control to God? How do I let "Jesus Take the Wheel"? I am Mommy...I have to be the one in control or this family is going to fall completely apart!
Page 17, top of the page: "In fact, we can even attempt to glaze this grab for power with an opaque film of righteousness. After all, maybe we're taking God's directions to us in Colossians 3:23 seriously: "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people" (NLT). Well, then, aren't we just being good church girls, trying to serve Jesus by being in charge of it all? Yep, that's it. We're simply being careful and conscientious.
Therein, fellow control freak of mine, lies the problem. There exists a minuscule line between being conscientious and being controlling. A marker so fine, we women cross it without even noticing that it's stretched out right there in front of us, waiting to trip us up. What we must do is determine the difference between being conscientious (our part) and being in control (God's job)."
You mean it's not my job to control? But I am the Mommy! This is going to be harder than I thought...
My control quotient is 44: "41 - 50: Control-freak alert! Your strength has developed into a weakness and sent others running for cover. Time to stop tweaking and start trusting before all of your friends and family scatter for good, and you end up a prisoner of your own pushy self! (Don't feel bad. I scored a 46!)"
I got my work cut out for me!
Page 20, this sentence says it all..."And being happy, I thought, meant getting my own way." Yeah, I feel that way right now. If I don't get my way in every aspect of my life, then I can't be happy and I won't be happy (Crossing my arms defiantly like my 4 year old!) Well, guess what Jenny? IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU! That hurts...
The Many Faces of Control...deep down honesty?
I am all of them depending on the situation. I can be the soft-spoken saint who never says no and only says yes only to just be agreeable. Sometimes it is genuine and at other times it isn't.
The enabler is also me. I don't let the world see my true family life at home and I do craft excuses for loved ones's bad behavior. I absorb the blame and make good excuses just so my family has a good reputation.
The victim or martyr is someone that controls not by yelling or barking orders but by pouting that is well-timed...oh yeah, with the occasional sigh. Guilty. Maybe I sigh too much because I am only trying to get my way.
I am a people pleaser. I will often say what people want to hear and I do hate ruffling feathers. This really hurts to admit but I want everyone to hear what they want to hear. I tend to jump on the bandwagon that suits my purpose at that time.
These all hurt. I will rise above it and change my life. I don't want to be like any of these things.
Page 23: "I think it starts with admitting that however it may manifest itself in our own unique personalities, we have a problem: our wiring is screwed up. Because of sin, we're wired to control everything ourselves. And it will take a Great Electrician to sort through our tangled mess of selfish motives and actions and attitudes and transform them into one smooth, humming connection to our Father."
Oh My! I believe in God but I have yet to fully trust God. "...in order to get a grip, we have to let go." I hope I sincerely learn "...how to control what we should and trust God with what we can't."
And this is just Chapter 1!
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