Letting Go of Control

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. // Mark 6:8

I listened to my friend and tried not to be impatient with her. I simply asked what time we’d leave and what activities we'd do on our outing. I wanted to make plans, reservations, and know what to pack. She, however, didn’t like to have the constraints of set plans. She preferred to wing it and see where the day would lead.

I can’t live like that. I need notations in my planner, a sample schedule, a list of things to cross off. It gives me a sense of security, so I will be prepared for what may come. It’s no wonder that today's Gospel stresses me. Jesus is sending the Apostles out and He instructs them to “take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts” (Mark 6:8). They were to go where they were welcomed and leave where they were not (see Mark 6:10-11).

Unless we are missionaries, we probably don’t have that level of practical uncertainty in our lives. We most likely have normal days of school, work, or caring for our family. But there’s no guarantee that our day or plans will go as scheduled. Life is full of uncertainty. Sometimes it’s a minor thing that causes us to stop and pivot—a call from a friend in need, a sick child, an unexpected visitor. Sometimes disruptions are life changing—a job loss, a major illness, or the death of a loved one. 

Regardless, they require us to surrender our desire to control things. Instead, we are challenged to humbly place our hands in the Father’s and go where He leads, knowing that He’ll give us the grace to adapt and trust. 

Is there something in your life you have been trying to control, or to which you are holding on too tightly? How is God asking you to let go?

Lord, I don’t like not having control or knowing what will happen next. Help me to surrender my need to know. May I trust in Your goodness and be willing to go wherever You lead me. I love You. Amen.