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What is something you wish so desperately you could change, right now, but you cannot?

If you’re like me, I have a mile long list.

It’s a crazy feeling isn’t it? This isn’t right. I want to make it right. This wasn’t supposed to be this way. How can I fix this? This is not how my story was to be written. What can I do to change it? Is there a REDO button for this day or this chapter of life?

When life doesn’t turn out like we expected or the big waves almost knock us down, we all must come to a place we simply understand that we are NOT in control. It’s that ‘throw your hands in the air’ moment of surrender.

Broken moments, broken chapters, broken pieces of our lives that are beyond our control, are the very moments God uses to remind us, He IS our only hope. He is the ONE who holds it all together and no matter how many pieces there may be to our life, He is the only one who can put them back together in a way we would have never imagined. He is there, IN every moment, wanting to carrying us through it.

How does a child let you know they want to be carried? They put their hands in the air. We must do the same. We come to a place where we accept the reality that we can’t, and God can. When we rest in that, there is peace.

Are you familiar with the serenity prayer? It’s a prayer to God asking for calmness and peace in all matters of life. It was written by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr and promoted and published in the nineteen thirties and forties. There are two versions and I want to read you both.

The short version is this,

O God grant me...

the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

the Courage to change the things I can,

and the Wisdom to know the difference, Amen.

The full version reads like this,

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

The line that makes me smile is, ‘so I may be reasonably happy in this life’. There are things we can’t change and there are things we can. What I love about this prayer is it is full of surrender, while at the same time accepting responsibility. God calls us to water walk in seasons and He also calls us to be carried. My prayer is that whatever any day may hold that I always know who holds it.

Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Jesus holds me together, ever single day. I’m so grateful He does. Whether you choose to trust Him or not, He holds you too. He is IN it all and working through it all for your good. Believing that brings peace and accepting what we cannot change, is serenity.

That’s the truth.

If you’re struggling with what you cannot control, trust Jesus with it. One day all things will be made right, but until that day, we walk, rest and move by faith and find peace only when WE let go.

I’m Lori Cline.

First I want to point out that self control is a fruit of the spirit, which means its not a fruit of our flesh. That means it's going to take work. We don’t just become Christ like over night.

I mean if we never say what were thinking out loud then it never hurts anyone right?

Have you had to chase a dog lately? I sure hope you haven’t. It’s not fun. I have two dogs. One is a beagle mix named Ruby and the other is an eighty pound Goldador named Roxy. We have an invisible dog fence around our yard and our sweet dogs have collars that will remind them when they are too close to the fence so they stay IN our yard. It’s for their protection and care.

I now refer to that invisible fence as the circle of blessing. You see, inside the circle of blessing, there is safety. Inside the circle of blessing there are treats. Inside the circle of blessing there is a home with people who love you. There is a warm place to rest, fresh water and enough food for each day. There are belly rubs and couch snuggles inside the circle of blessing. In the yard there is grass to roll in and toys to chew and play fetch with. It’s beautiful inside the circle of blessing.

Roxy got outside the circle of blessing. Her collar wasn’t working properly, so she didn’t get the electric reminder to not go beyond the fence. She made her way out into an area of woods and thorn bushes, water, mud and rocks. She was chasing something. Once I discovered she was out, I put on a jacket, got my mud boots on, grabbed a leash and went after her.

I called and called. A couple times I got a glimpse of her. She was on the hunt. She was chasing something and WAY more focused on that, than she was my voice. I prayed for her. I love my dogs. I want them safe. I want them with me. I was very concerned because as I continued to make my way through the woods I saw her again and she was getting close to a highway near our neighborhood. I quickened my pace, my voice was stern and she looked up and stood still. I was finally able to get a leash on her and we turned back toward home.

The crazy thing is, she was so far out that I got turned around trying to find my way back. Thankfully I got my bearings and we slowly made our way home. It was not an easy journey. It seemed for every step she took away from me, it was double that to get back to the circle of blessing.

We made it home. She was tired. I was tired. I washed her off, brought her inside and yes, gave her a treat. She slept all afternoon.

My Dad, who is now with Jesus, used to talk to my girls about the circle of blessing and the love and care of our heavenly Father. When we ABIDE and REMAIN in the Father’s love, will and way, we are blessed. Still, how often do we chase after things that lead us away from what is good? Our eyes become fixed on the object of our desire, we go our way and before we know it, we find ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings not sure how to make our way home. Choices made in a fleeting moment lead to a path we never expected full of isolation, struggle and pain.

The Father still calls us to come home. His voice calls us by name. You may be so far gone you can’t hear it, but still, He is calling you. His love for you never changes. His desire for what is good for you is still the same. You simply need to stop running and look up.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Friend, no matter how far you’ve gone, the love of the Father remains. He calls and waits for you to come home. In fact, He is running after you even now. Stop running, hear His voice and follow Him home. There is blessing, forgiveness, healing and rest waiting for you.

That’s the truth.

Abiding IN Jesus is the circle of blessing. It’s not without pain and the trials of this life, but it is where fullness of life, joy and peace flow and it’s where I choose to remain.

I’m Lori Cline.

If you have had a bad experience at church or with a Christian this video is for you.