WHO is in control here?

This Christmas season I have often thought of Joseph. It seems to be me that he had to let go of a lot of things that a man of his time and culture would have expected to control. His family was begun under circumstances that would have made for rich tabloid gossip. He lost the "right" to name the son coming into his home. The move to Egypt was not his idea, so he gave up the right where to set up housekeeping. Instead, he abandoned the "illusion of control," trusting himself to the God of Israel. He submitted to God as he walked by faith through a very important intersection in the history of redemption.

The past few weeks, I have wrestled to forsake the "illusion of control" as we have approached this intersection. I have wanted to ignore this illness, pull back from this path, negotiate a way to regain control. But of course I have never controlled Nancy's health, the well being of the fam, or much of anything else.

Instead, we are called to renounce the illusion of control. I am so thankful to know that lots of folks around the world are walking this road with us as you pray.