To follow Christ is to abandon the need you have to control life. That’s not just harder than it sounds. It's something a lot of us don't want to acknowledge Now, most of us don’t want to control everything, just enough control to feel safe. We want to know how tomorrow will go before tomorrow gets here. We want guarantees and few surprises. But faith doesn't promise that kind of life. Jesus invites us into something deeper, and, strangely, something lighter. “Do not worry about tomorrow,” he says. Not because tomorrow doesn’t matter or because there's nothing worrisome in the world. But because your life is held in God's love, which is, thankfully, stronger than your managing abilities. Worry is often control dressed up as wisdom or conc
ern. We carry fear about what is out of our control. In the worry process, we mull over conversations that haven’t happened. We try to solve problems God has not asked us to solve. To follow Christ is to be set free from the illusion that you are responsible for keeping the universe balanced. Or that you even can. It doesn't mean living passively. Instead, live alert but not anxious, faithful but not frantic, present and not fearful. God is not asking you to map every step of your future. God is asking you to walk with open hands. There is holy freedom in admitting you are not strong enough to carry all of tomorrow today. There is grace in trusting that God’s provision isn't dependent upon your planning. The kingdom does not fall away just because you cannot see what's next. Faith is not the mastery of life’s mystery. Faith is the courage to walk into mystery believing God's love is already there, waiting to meet you. Stay blessed...john | 
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