Extreme God!

Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Ok, I've heard and read this verse more times than I can recall. And it's one of those that gets thrown out there when there is something "bothering or worrying" me. It's nice, huh? A great way to tell someone to stop worrying about things... but instead of it being chunked at me by a well-meaning friend or family-member (as it usually is)...this time God chunked it at me.

I say that because the man I heard speaking about this scripture had no idea that months later Carlotta would be buried up to her ears with worry and anxiety over a handful of different things during the month of November 2007 and would hear his message and need it specifically at that time. Those that "aired" the message didn't know any of that either. Even I didn't know I was inadvertently going to hear the message at this time. So the only orchestrator of all of that could be God.

What spoke to me most about that scripture THIS TIME is the use of extreme words. Extreme, as in... 'Don't worry about ANYTHING, pray about EVERYTHING, peace that exceeds ANYTHING we can understand.' It doesn't say, "you know Carlotta, there are those BIG things that it's really ok to worry about." I think we all have those things that if called out on it, we would argue are BIG enough that we cannot help but worry about. Other translations say "Be anxious about NOTHING". Good grief, is that even possible? If it weren't, I don't believe God would have so eloquently placed it in the Bible, via Paul. Plus, we know based on the rest of the scripture that if we give EVERYTHING to Him in prayer He will grant us peace that transcends ALL understanding. Even the most brilliant minds of our age cannot fathom the kind of peace God can grant in ALL of our circumstances. Even, and especially in the BIG ones that we are so prone to hang onto and worry about and focus on. So, He can really release me of all of that mental turmoil??? Really? Well, when does that happen? I've been praying, I've told Him everything on my mind, prayed until I am blue in the face. I've cried out to Him with the desires of my heart and the cares and concerns of my life. I've not spared Him any details, I've not left out anything. But the real question is...did I GIVE it to him? I shared it with Him in nauseating detail but then I cram it all back into my bag and take it with me as I leave the throne. What's the good in that? It's not as if He didn't know everything I shared with Him anyhow. He knows. But if I don't give it to Him and trust that He can and will handle it all, there's not much point to any of it.

So, my guess is that He got weary with His precious daughter (ME!) coming to Him filled with tears, hurt, pain, confusion, and unfulfilled desires, crying and broken at His feet but refusing to let go of it all. That would make me frustrated too. So He threw this verse at me through someone I don't even know. Probably hoping it might have more impact that way... Because He cares and He feels my pain deeply. He wants to give me peace. But I have to surrender these issues to Him. Why don't I? Am I afraid He will tell me what I don't want to hear? Perhaps. But how can that be...what He wants and what His plan is and what His timing is is FAR superior to mine. The end results will be far superior to ANYTHING I can come up with or imagine. It's a fact. It's true and yet I cling to all of these issues in my life.

Hello, can you say, STUPID? Ok, well, perhaps not stupid, but stubborn.

Dear God, right here, right now, I am letting go of it. I am releasing these cares onto You. They are now Yours to do with them as You see best. My ideals, my plans, my "fixes" are all so limited and weak. I do not know how, why, or when you will address all of them (and there are many as you know), but I am going to LIVE this scripture. I am going to trust in its truth and in its extreme wording. If anyone is extreme it is You. And it is going to take extreme faith and surrender on my part to let these go...but here they are. I am done with them. I give them over to you. Lock them up so I don't try to sneak in and take them back. I don't want them anymore. Keep them. Heal them. Change them. Correct them. Say NO if You must. Say Yes if You must. Do what must be done in all of these circumstances. And thank you SO much for doing what You will do. Thank You for all that You have already done. In Your Son's Precious Name...Amen.