UNTANGLED

If you are a woman reading, then you will totally understand the question I’m going to ask. How many times have you reached into your jewelry box for a necklace only to pull out several chains that have somehow become a tangled mess? No matter how hard I try, whenever I travel and bring along more than one necklace, it happens. It’s as though when no one is looking the chains become mysteriously “active.” Men, you may also identify because you are often asked to remedy the situation by patiently unsnarling the twisted metal.

Like jewelry with a life of its own, sometimes my life feels as though it’s gone awry. Recently, in more than one situation I felt out of sync with the people in my world. As an introvert, I am a much better listener than a talker, however, for several days, every time I did open my mouth I seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Has this ever happened to you? When alone, I gave myself a good talking to and declared to “fix it!” But, when I tried to fix it, I only made things worse.

After much angst, I decided to calm my anxious runaway heart and take my concerns to God. As I lay in bed, my body felt as though an electric current was running through it with pent up uneasiness. So I prayed, God, You know my heart better than I do, and You know my intentions. Please show me what I can do to make this awful feeling of dread go away. If I need to apologize to someone, then show me; if I need to change my thinking, then help me. But, God, I can’t live another minute with my derelict emotions. I know these feelings are not of You. Please take control. Amen.

Friend, I believe I am not unique in this scenario. Unrest is often a clue that we need to draw closer to The One Who can bring order to an otherwise tangled up messy place in our lives. I love the Scripture passage from Zephaniah that God “will quiet you with his love.” Sometimes, we just need to be quieted to receive God’s love.

Shhh…can you feel it?