managing life

How easy it is to want to be in control of our lives, at least to some extent. If we wrote the story of our own lives, we might put in a few twist and turns for effect, but we'd want it to be out of harm's way. It would be different than the way life often works out. Of course it would be vanilla and quite predictable, maybe with plenty of charm, if we could write it out while we are living (gas prices might go down instead of up, right now). We could then solve all the world's problems, or at least our own!

But we have little control over the outcome of our lives, or what happens around us. Though through the Spirit's work in us, self-control in love can make a big difference. But a part of that self-control will put us at odds with the world, as we endeavor to take up our cross and follow Christ, being a witness of Jesus as we seek to live out this new life out of death, in him.

Having the sense that little is in our control, and that the best we can do is to do our part by the Spirit as part of Christ's Body, we can then focus on God anew, placing our lives again and again in his hands. In that we will find a moving in us to move us out of our own safe places and into the adventure and challenge of the unfolding will of God.

I'm groping my way in this, but I want to learn to walk in it.

Any insights or thoughts on this?