God Stuff

What’s your sign?

Whats-your-sign

I have a friend. She’s funny, wise and a bit strange. (All traits I look for in a friend.) She asked me the other day, “What is your sign?”

I know what you’re thinking. Is this 1975 at the Regal Beagle? …If you are under 40 years old, just ask your parents. They’ll get the reference.

As it turns out, I’m a Virgo. Virgos are intelligent, analytical introverts. They are serious, practical and loyal.

They can also be critical and stubborn.

And they overanalyze everything.

Over analysis leads to worry and worry leads to stress. And stress is the path to the dark side.

The dark side is our desire to control a situation.

Some situations demand that we are in control. Driving a car or operating heavy machinery for instance. But many (if not most situations) are simply out of our control.

Recently, I found myself in just such a situation. I was feeling very confused, and frankly alone. Hopeless was a word I used to describe it. To pretty much anyone that would listen. And believe me, I wanted somebody to listen.

Woe is me was my cry! See me suffer! Pity me. Encourage me! Hug me!

Are you not entertained?!

Surprisingly, most people were not. Sympathetic yes, but desiring to be around a whiny, mopey, sad sack of a Virgo, not at all.

There’s a story in the Bible of King David. King David has committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. In the process, Bathsheba became pregnant. The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to show David his sin and the consequences were severe. David’s son, born of Bathsheba would die.

After Nathan makes his proclamation, the child becomes very ill. David prays to the Lord for the baby. David fasts and lays on the ground all night. His family tries to get him off the ground and to eat, but David refuses. This goes on for a week, and on the seventh day, the baby dies. David’s servants are afraid. David would not get eat or get up while the baby was suffering, what will he do when he hears of the child’s death?

When David sees the servants whispering, he knew what had happened. He asks, “Is the baby dead?”

“Yes,” they answer.

David does something completely unexpected.

He gets up, washes himself and changes clothes. And he eats.

And he worships God.

His servants are perplexed to say the least. “Why are you doing this,” they ask?

David said, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted, and I cried. I thought perhaps the Lord would let the baby live. But now that he is dead, I can’t bring him back. Someday I will go to him, but he can’t come back.”

At that point, David was completely out of control. He had done everything he could. He had given it his all. But when he was simply out of options, it was time to turn it over to God.

Which brings me back to the present. Not 1975, but the present.

I found myself in a situation that was completely out of my control. I had given it my all. And believe me, my all was something to see.

But was it enough?

That’s a painful lesson to learn. Sometimes, your best is not enough. The situation is simply out of your control.

So I did what Virgos do best. I overanalyzed. And I was pessimistic. And I worried. And I was stubborn.

But my funny, wise, strange friend said this, “Just relinquish. It’s out of your control. Focus on things you can control.”

Relinquish.

It’s out of your control.

Focus on things you can control.

So simple. So true. How did I not see it?

I was lost in a stubborn haze of over analysis and desire to be in control.

So, may you, my friends (especially my Virgo friends) get up. Wash yourselves off. Eat. And know that life is good and it’s meant to be lived. Here and now. May God work out my situation and may He work out yours.

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