Thoughts For Today -- Letting Go

It is only one day until the national and state elections. I am something of a political junkie. I take being informed and voting seriously. And I admit to sometimes having strong opinions and carrying around too much anxiety about voting outcomes. I worry about my local district, my state and my country.

BUT . . . WORRY NEVER GOT ANYONE ANYWHERE.

I believe in the sovereignty of God. He is in control. However, I know that he did not fashion puppets when he created human-beings and that throughout history mankind has gone astray, standing willfully against their Creator. So, I know we can get "it" wrong.

However, even when we make mistakes God is with us. He does not abandon us. And he can bring goodness even from what was intended for evil.

And so I am doing my best to release my angst to him. The outcome of this election is not up to me. I've done all that I feel I've been asked to do. And though in speaking out I've tried to remain respectful, I have been unfriended by some. That makes me kind of sad. But God never said, obedience would be easy or even pleasant.

Whomever wins the presidential election, I look forward to moving beyond these days and serving God wherever and however he directs me.

Please pray for one another. Pray for the candidates. And pray for our country.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Tips For Triumphant Living--Let go.

If I were to take a test that indicated my stress level it would probably be off the scale. I'm a type "A" personality and life demands a lot from me, from most of us. There is always something going on. Presently I have all the usual--work, family, health issues, and things like gasoline prices. My husband and I are also building a house (never again), and my daughter is getting married in July. The wedding is good news, but as is often the case weddings also mean stress. My body doesn't much like stress and sometimes it tells me so.

There is a prayer called the Serenity Prayer, which says "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."

Wise words we all should heed. Sometimes we simply need to let go.

There's so much about this life that we truly have no say about, things we cannot change no matter how much we may wish they were different. When we come face to face with these realities the healthiest response would be to accept the circumstances and offer them to God.

I've never seen a day of worry make anything better. But I've certainly seen it make things worse.

God waits to hear from us. He can contend with all of our troubles and disappointments. He's got everything under control. After all, He holds the world so perfectly in the universe that life thrives without our having to do a thing. So, what can we do that He can't?

To coin a phrase, "Don't worry. Be Happy."

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie Leon