Over the summer I travelled south via train to visit our one son. Any time one has to use mass transit, it is always an adventure. It never fails that when I am traveling or visiting places that I will be asked for directions or help from fellow travelers. On this visit, there was a young Polish couple that approached me about using the D.C. Metro. It was rewarding to help them and to be the face of welcome to our little patch of the world. I always think how would I feel if I were a foreigner in a foreign land and needed help. And, of course, their English was far superior than my Polish (nieistniejący).

As I was traveling and watching the various vistas roll by, I thought how blessed and grateful I am that we are living where we are. Many years ago, our hearts were wishing to live in a different location close to where our son is now living. As I traveled down to see him, I was so grateful that God didn’t heed that original plea. What I thought was the best, turns out to not be.

Not only is our current location beautiful and charming but it suits our lifestyle. The location where we thought we wanted in VA, would've exhausted us in no time. There is a different rhythm and pace in both places, the RI being preferable to us.

I thought of other times that I prayed fervently for various situations for myself and others: fruition of dreams, moves, career decisions, health. My prayers were more like kicking and screaming wanting my will, what I thought was the best outcome. I did not always pray- “Thy will be done”, rather I prayed for God’s rubber stamp of approval on my plans. Yet I am glad that God did His will anyway. It was all in God’s good timing. It was just a shame and a waste of time for me to be so obstinate to be in control. If only I had let go and let God? I would’ve saved myself from so much heartache and wringing of hands.

Currently I am continually praying for family members and their various situations: health, broken dreams, seemingly insurmountable situations that cannot be solved, yet Thy will be done. I want God’s best for them- solutions and plans that I do not know.

Yet it is hard to have God’s will be done and not be impatient or confused over His plans and timing. We know of a family that has been totally slammed with tragic news upon tragic news. The husband/father of three young adult daughters has ALS. This gentleman’s prognosis and deterioration has been fast and cruel: He needs help breathing and cannot communicate hardly at all as his muscles, even the smallest ones, do not work. His wife was in a horrible car accident and was determined to be brain dead. The family had to make the painful and heart wrenching decision to remove life support. What is the best for those people? What they are experiencing doesn’t sound like the best. These are the times when one cries out, “Why? Why is this happening? Don’t you care God?”

For many people, it is enough to turn one’s back on God.

Yet.

Don’t we want the best for our loved ones? For ourselves? Why would we turn our back on the One who has the plan for our lives? Wouldn’t the Creator of all know what is best for His creation? While we may never know why this family has had to suffer, the Creator has the large picture in view. He didn’t cause those issues and He is walking right beside those daughters.

Selfishly, I want God’s best for my life and for the lives of those I love. As Peterson’s The Message says, “do what’s best” is the interpretation of The Lord’s Prayer of “Thy will be done.” Some skeptics will say that in following God and believing in Him, we put our brain aside. Yet following and believing God is our choice. Allowing God to have complete control. “Thy will be done” is a choice. To ask Him to do what is best in the situations we find ourselves.

What about you? How are you in choosing to let God be in control? How are you in letting anyone be in control?

I know that I struggle with the idea of control. Heck. I do not like to ski because there is a component of “letting go” and letting the limbs, snow and skis have some fluidity. One has to relax and not be rigid in one’s descent. Like so much of life, the more we tighten control over items, situations, even people, the more trouble and problems occur.

Choosing to allow God to have His will for our lives is kind of like traveling the train. The destination may be pre-determined but how I behave and enjoy or not enjoy the ride is my choice.