God is in Control

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3

It was different this year. Things weren’t flowing as smoothly for our annual college women’s retreat that a good friend of mine and I plan. We were in our fifth year, and the applications weren’t coming in like before, the ideas weren’t flowing, and the enthusiasm wasn’t there.

Our theme this year is “It’s a Jungle Out There: Your Spiritual Survival Kit” and I felt lost in the jungle. There seemed to be a block on the retreat, and there was talk about cancelling.

I thought, Is this really what God wants us to do? I can’t believe he’d want to disappoint the women who had signed up.

So I did something radical, and difficult, because I’m not a quitter. I prayed, “Lord, while I don’t understand, if you don’t want us to do the retreat this year, we will cancel it. This is your retreat.”

I laid the retreat at the altar, and that was the turning point.

Immediately, the block was lifted.

Three women told me their applications were in the mail, and we knew we had enough to break even. We prayed for two more, and one of those two emailed me this morning saying her application was in the mail.

The retreat format ideas came pouring in.

The message I’m going to present became clear.

I felt an enthusiasm and excitement for this event like never before.

I realized that in my busyness, I had not given the retreat over to God. What a mistake! It was HIS retreat, not ours, and I had tried to plan it in my own power.

A couple of years ago at the event, on a field trip to the campus bookstore, we found a t- shirt with the letters GIIC on the front of it. It stands for “God is in control.”

And that’s what I forgot this year. I had tried to be in control of the retreat, and God wanted me to surrender it to him. Life always goes better when we are in the passenger seat. I won’t be surprised if this is the best retreat to date, because God is planning every detail.

What do you need to lay at the altar? Do you feel a block about a situation you are in? Do you feel you are striving too much?

GIIC.