Read the paragraph below and tell me if it sounds familiar…
Pain and crisis had taught my brain and my heart to anticipate more pain and crisis, and without even realizing it, my thoughts were rushing away from today, into the future, trying to predict and then eliminate any hurt that might take me or my family by surprise again… I wanted to do everything I could right now to ensure the outcome I wanted, the outcome where we win, where none of my family members or friends face hardship or struggle…
Many of us wrestle with fear and control, and I think the above passage from Katie’s new book, Safe All Along, is relatable for most of us.
Katie describes a friend who, in spite of trouble, experiences unshakable peace. This woman lost everything seemingly essential for her survival and well being, and yet her inner peace wasn’t shaken. She knew she belonged to God and that she was in His hands. Her awareness that nothing – not even death or loss – could separate her from God’s love laid a blanket of peace over her insides.
Katie comments,
I want to say [this is enough], and to believe deep in my bones that it’s true. But I come from a place and a culture where we always reach for more, always look for better… in the back of my mind [is the thought] that God owes us something – safety, food… health, life…
What if I got rid of that thinking? What if I truly believed that God owes me nothing at all (He doesn’t) and that every single breath He gives, every provision I see around me, is a lavish gift to be thankful for?
I confess that I’ve idolized Katie through the years. She lived out a dream that I gave up – moving to Africa to establish a ministry to those in desperate need. She gave up a life of privilege and material comfort and adopted more than ten orphaned children while still a single woman in her twenties. She has always written with honesty and conviction.
This new book, Safe All Along, is as honest as the others. I know it’s silly, but I’m surprised to read it and find that Katie, super woman, struggles, like the rest of us, with anxiety, fear and control.
Today, think about these sentences, taken from Katie’s latest book:
Surrender is where we see the face of God.
Surrender is where we know Him.
Surrender is where He shows us His beauty.
