What I Learned on Christmas Vacation

We’d planned out each of the 14 days. Almost to the hour. Having waited four months in Germany for a trip home to the States, we thought it would be wise to account for every moment on paper before we actually arrived. We’d even accounted for sleepy jet-lag time.

What we had not accounted for, however, was our youngest daughter’s illness which landed her two days in the hospital. Or my husband’s eight-day bout with influenza two days after we arrived.

As much as I wish I could say we found all kinds of great gifts inside that 14-day Christmas vacation, I have to admit, I’m still not crazy about the outcome of our time Stateside.

But one thing is sure: God’s plans trumped ours. And, for reasons we may never know, this time His hand guided our family through a few weeks of difficult and straight into the truth of His I-am-in-control-sovereignty.

Please don’t misunderstand. I am in no way suggesting that God desires illness or heartache for His children. I don’t think Solomon would say that, either. What I do know, however, is that His way, not ours, prevailed. Just as it should. And, somehow, even through the sickness and the hospitals, God established our steps as we walked through the toughest Christmas vacation we’ve known to date.

I used to think verse 3 of this particular chapter in Proverbs was a sort of formula to get what I wanted.

But when I study that word commit more in-depth, I find something altogether different. The original Hebrew word is galal. It means to roll away.

The verse I always thought was my ticket to whatever I wanted is actually an invitation to trust God with everything I do so that He can firm it up.

It takes the kind of humility that’s willing to hand over the reigns. Surrender every last bit of control. Sure, we can make plans and schedule our days, but the wise and humble will hold them loosely before Almighty God. We can make the agenda and then roll it on over to Him, with the humble knowing that He gets the final say.

Is there something right now that you need to roll away and trust God with?

**I wrote this post for the devotional blog I help write. This month, we’re studying the book of Proverbs. You can check it out here.