Letting Go and Letting God

By Sarah McDonald

I am a planner. I like to have a schedule and know what is happening when and where. I still have a written calendar as well as my phone-based calendar so that I can make additional notes as necessary. Plus, I still think I remember better when I handwrite it.

On March 1, 2020, life was moving along as always: we were looking ahead at coveted summer camp spots for the kids and talking with our friends about getting the same beach house this year for our annual friends’ trip.

Then came March 13 and everything became uncertain.

How would I work with all the kids not in school? When would the kids go back to school? What about soccer, football and all of the other activities my kiddos were involved in? Was it safe to go to the store? How often did I need to bleach the bathrooms and door handles? And, the worst, what if we got sick?

The uncertainty of the “stay-at-home” order and everything surrounding the past three months has been really hard for this planner to handle.

Soon after an exceptionally unpleasant evening at home, I realized something in prayer: the only way to face the uncertainty was to let it go and let God take control – because I certainly didn’t have any control anymore.

Why did it take a worldwide pandemic to make me realize this? I mean, I had recognized God’s hand in my life many times and in many disappointments and trials, but this one was a real test. Why did it take “normal” being stripped for me to understand this on an even deeper level?

Now, as we begin to phase in a reopening, there is still a lot of uncertainty around what normal will look like. My prayer is that I will take my true lesson of letting go and letting God into this great unknown.