Combo.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

~ Psalm 23

If there has been a recurring theme in my life of late, it has been the paradox of receiving and letting go.

We’re trying to sell one house and buy another. It’s a time of possibility and excitement on one hand… and utter powerlessness on the other. You don’t realize how many things in your house need attention, fixing, painting, decluttering, and cleaning until you think about bringing in the listing photographer (which happens today). And even when you’re under contract to buy a new one, you have to clear the dreaded home inspection (tomorrow)… especially on a 100-year-old house. What could go wrong?

And so we are invited into this holy combo: receiving and letting go. The art of opening our hearts to hope, allowing ourselves to get excited about something potentially good, and at the same time not getting attached to the vision, the desire. It’s not exactly a safe scenario; we could easily get disappointed or caught in an awkward situation. You can go under contract for the next house and then have your selling contract fall through. Or you could sell your current house and have your purchase contract fall through. There are no guarantees… Or are there?

As David astutely observes (and certainly proved out in his life story), two things are predictable: a table and enemies. Difficulty and provision. Receiving and letting go.

Kellie and I were sitting in our prayer room this morning and talking about how there’s so much change going on in our lives right now that it feels unsettling. And it does. It’s entirely human to feel that way, and I don’t think it’s wrong or bad to feel it. In fact modern science says that we experience these life circumstances on a molecular level; our very bodies register change and upheaval, and we need that biofeedback in order to pay attention to what’s happening, on both the natural and the spiritual planes. But attention is just the first step; the second step is discernment.

Kellie and I believe we’re right where we’re supposed to be, doing what we’re supposed to do. We don’t sense a course correction so far. So we went on to step three, another combo: surrender and trust. No sane person would relax and surrender to their circumstances unless they were convinced of a good outcome, unless they really believed that “all things work together for good.” Sometimes when my plans have gone horribly wrong, I didn’t really feel or believe that it was all going to work out for good… but I’m learning, and I’m trusting more than ever before.

There’s nothing like a whole string of unsettling changes in your life to drive home this point. That’s why life calls for a combo. Certain things simply belong together, like a burger and fries, like a ribeye and Cabernet, like peas and carrots (per Forrest Gump). Life is about gladly receiving the gifts of God… and then allowing things to be removed from our lives, even things we cherish. It’s about surrender and trust.

It’s about feasting securely in the presence of enemies. Can you do that? Can I?

growing the soul

What is being asked of you to surrender these days… and how’s that going? Can you trust the results to fall in a good way?

serving the world

How can you be an encouragement—emotionally, spiritually, and practically—for someone who can only see the enemies right now?

takeaway

Would you like fries with that?

p.s. The inspection on the house we were buying came back with catastrophic issues, so we had to ditch it. I was genuinely heart-broken because I loved that place, but at the same time I have received remarkable grace to “surrender and trust.” It works!!