Staying Flexible

As a child I was always up for adventure. My reading choices often involved the exploits of the hero defeating the bad guys with great courage, daring and a band of unlikely underdog heroes!

In my latest season with God, I am trying to remember to frame it as adventure because life with Jesus IS an adventure! As a hobbit once observed, (Bilbo Baggins in J. R. R. Tolkein’s “The Hobbit”) adventures can be “nasty uncomfortable things” but if we focus on the excitement of exploration and the anticipation of the unknown rather than the uncertainty and the discomfort of not knowing what is going to happen next, they can be enjoyable!

One of the keys to enjoying adventure is the ability to let go of investment in a certain outcome or ending, and being open to the unexpected, the twists and turns of plot that we love in a good story but that can be harder to navigate in our own lives.

In the last month or so, God has asked me to let go of control… again. I guess it isn’t surprising how often this issue comes up. We like to think we are masters of our own fate and we buy into the lie that says we are in total control of our lives. One of the ways we keep our fears at bay is to try and micromanage the things that could potentially derail that deception. We manage our relationships, our time, our lives to perpetuate the illusion of control. The presence of fear increases our desire to control all the possible ways in which things might not line up with our preferred outcomes.

In reality, we cannot even control where our next breath is coming from, never mind all the other details of our life.  Letting go seems so hard though.  Ultimately, the issue is whether or not we trust the one to whom we are giving control.  

Our walk with Jesus is a continual process of giving him control, of surrendering, letting go and trusting him to take the reins. When life feels even more uncertain than normal, as it does in this season, the temptation can be to pull back, to batten down the hatches, to not take risks, not step out. In this time, it would feel easier to limit myself and “stay safe”.

There is a saying that “Fortune favours the brave”. Years ago, in a time when I had a few pounds to invest, I had a conversation with a financial adviser who concluded that I was a “very low risk investor”. This basically meant I wasn’t really prepared to risk at all and whatever I put in, I expected back and more. He pointed out that those who made money were those that were willing to risk.

I think faith works similarly. I could trundle along with “Sunday-morning-only Christianity” where I am content to sit in a pew and just do the same old, same old. The risks are very few, it feels safe, very predictable and honestly, very boring. There is a verse in Daniel 11 (verse 32) which says, in part:

but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits

The key to doing those great exploits is knowing, really knowing, the one in whom we trust. The stakes are high but so are the rewards. He is totally dependable. Those who see astounding miracles in some countries literally risk their lives on a daily basis to follow Jesus. High stakes indeed but life rather than mere existence! Jesus says in John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I wonder how many of us are settling for something much less than life in all its fullness, being robbed of the joy that is abundant life, out of a desire for comfort, for safety, for the illusion, the deception of control.

Right now, I feel the tension of this moment where on the one hand there is the pull of Jesus saying “follow me” and an invitation into the deeper things of God and on the other hand, the desire to remove the discomfort of uncertainty. It boils down to choosing faith over fear. It involves choosing to trust the unknown aspects of my life to a known God, the one who knows all things, who is Alpha and Omega, who knows the beginning and also knows the end. There is a comfort in that and I remind myself of how many times God says (Deuteronomy 31:8)

It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Some days I just want a predictable life with a job that restores the security that came from having a financial cushion and I want to know how it is all going to look, I want to know what the plan is and have it nailed down so there is no uncertainty, no risk, no need to move forward into the unknown.  In fact, some days I want to go back to how it all was before.

Then on other days, I am full of faith and excited to see what is coming next.  I am full of anticipation and ready for adventure.  I am willing to pay the cost, go anywhere and do anything.  

Adventures can be messy and require an ability to be flexible, to adjust plans according to the unexpected. As I write this, I have just returned from a trip to the USA. From the very beginning this trip seemed to have been designed to encourage me to let go of control. It was a delayed trip (by 2 years) and so it had actually been rebooked 3 times due to changes – in itinerary, in availability of my hosts, in relational connections, and in life according to Covid. The trip involved 6 flights, every one of which was delayed – what was that all about?! And then during the trip an unexpected operation, and sickness, (my host not me), the vagaries of Colorado weather, visiting foreign dignitaries closing a venue I planned to explore, as well as the delays and normal day-to-day changes that occur in life served to emphasise the importance of being flexible, of being willing to adapt and change according to what comes up.

God is doing something new. He is expanding my horizons, drawing me into the fullness that he provides and I don’t want to be robbed of all that he is doing. I don’t want to miss it by being welded to a particular outcome, a particular way of life. I want to be open to the unexpected, to different, willing to try new things even if they are not what I planned.

Here’s to staying flexible on the journey, letting go of control and allowing God to bring the unexpected because I can trust him!