Relaxing in the Lord

     I catch myself at times completely tense, muscles tight, stomach on edge and my shoulders up around my ears. When I stop to assess why I'm so anxious, there is often no apparent reason. Part of me is constantly stirring up trouble, whether real or imaginary seemingly out of a need for control and excitement.
    Recently I've been reminding myself, "Relax, it's out of your hands, if this is the way God wants it, then this is the way it will be." It's hard for me to relax. I must breath deeply, stretch my neck muscles and shrug my shoulders to let out the tension that builds. Giving up control to God is not easy for me.
    Lately, I've heard people say, "It is what it is," about situations no longer under their control. At first, that phrase seemed flippant, but I'm beginning to see the beauty in it. God has a plan for me and for this world. He's had it since the beginning of time. My job is to ask Him what He needs me to do and get it done how He wants it done, when He wants it done.
     How do I know if it's what He wants? It will not be in my ability, strength or understanding, but probably in my weakness, so only God gets the credit. If the glory is going to God, I don't need to stress out worrying what if, since the I AM is in control and I am not.

Once the bulbs are in the ground, the flowers know how to grow and blossom without me assisting them. They know God's plan for their lives and they obey.

Philippians 2:⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

 ⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!