Who's In Control

Somehow things feel different this morning, there came a realization that made me think about my perspective on things. A person I knew, was killed in an instant, minding her own business, going about her day, walking her dog when a tree falls on her and kills her. 50 years old. We are not in control of all things in our lives, most certainly not our final moment. We may think we are, we may plan for our life as we do, but in the big picture, apart from the unthinkable, we are not the ones to control life or death.

When I was a kid, I had this kind of thinking that reasoned, when things got close to the "time of the end", I would straighten right up and do all things the way we are supposed to. When you are young, you are invincible, infallible and perhaps in your own eyes a no where near the grasp of the grim reaper. I believe we are designed that way on purpose, so in our youth we take some chances that we might never take in our older years and some of those risks have changed our world for the better. No doubt at the cost of a few gray hairs for some of the parents of these great adventurers.

We are though, in control of how we live our lives, how we step through each day. How we live is so much more important than trying to say what we think sounds good and leaving it at that.

We all know someone that says all the right phrases but that's the extent of their spiritual life. It's not a judgement sort of thing, there is no guess work to it, its just obvious by the way they live. The tree that bears no fruit sort of thing.

We are in control of what sort of relationships we have with our children, our husbands/wives, with extended family etc. Let me say right off here that some people are toxic, (perhaps mental illness plays a part) within the extended family and sometimes its just best to cut ties with them, but you don't have to hate them, talk bad about them etc. Let go of that sort of relationship.

We are also in control of our anger, resentment, wishes for retribution, that sort of thing. We can choose how we think, feel, build relationships. We are in control of our tongue, the words we speak, the way we say them. We can be kind, we can be helpful, we can be sincere. We are in control of what sort of legacy we leave. What sort of steps we have taken through life.

We can take time for others, schedule less and be still more often to hear that small voice call us to action for Him. We live in a world that is so fast paced, so full of things to be doing that we loose control of our time and suddenly we feel consumed by the busy-ness of our lives.

Primetime's "What Would You Do? " had a great show a while back, Are You A Good Sameritan ? Its a good article, showing how we are strongly influenced as to how we act in the face of anothers need, according to how busy we are. Made me think a bit, what are we so busy with these days. Running to and fro...having our children be in 5 different activities, does it really make them better people in the end ? Are we getting to be a better world, a kinder place ? Are we perhaps pursuing too many interests ? Are we being pulled and tugged 15 different ways about how we dress, how we eat, how we shop, how we exercise, how we parent, how we school our children ? Are we paying too much attention to what people are telling us and not ever sitting in quiet to hear or read what the Divine plan is for us ?
Maybe the Amish have it right in that direction. Just do what you have been doing for the past 400 years. Quiet simple lives, not so busy that you can't see the needs of others. You make time to build your neighbors barn with him. You have time to bake extra bread for the neighbor who is harvesting right now. You have time to sew a dress for the little girl down the road that is growing so fast. There is no pulling and tugging of new theories on how to eat or sleep or how to shop. Maybe it leaves you more control on how you do spend your life. Maybe, just maybe that is what simple living does for you.