Following Spirit's Plan Instead of my Own.

I had recently been involved in a spiritual project that at one level brought me great joy, yet at another made me feel uncertain and at times downright confused. I continued to work on the venture with high hopes convincing myself that it was what Holy Spirit wanted--- but deep down inside I didn’t feel fully at peace for some reason and actually a bit out of my depth.

My personal philosophy has always been to keep things simple, but the project seemed to take on a life of it’s own and I seemed to be playing a large part. And although I was having fun at times being involved in such an important development, I continued to receive an inner nudging that the mission was perhaps more ambitious than necessary.

Still, Holy Spirit can use all things for the accomplishment of His purpose and I received a wonderful confirmation of that over the last couple of weeks! After earnestly going to Spirit with my concerns and feelings of discomfort, I finally gave everything over to Him and offered my willingness to really follow the guidance of my heart.

Not long after, the project seemed to magically transform from one that felt (to me) forced and complex, to one that flowed easily with all of the pieces effortlessly falling into place. In fact, everyone involved seemed to simultaneously come to the same conclusion, adding to the feeling of peace and calm surrounding the new arrangement.

It made me think of the experience of childbirth… After many hours or days of labour, a child is born and the tremendous pressure is relieved. Suddenly the hard work is not only forgotten, but well worth the effort. That’s probably where the term ‘labour of love’ was derived.

In fact, it never ceases to amaze me how easily things flow, and how relaxed I feel when Spirit is really in charge. The hardest part to overcome is more often than not my willingness to relinquish the ‘labour’ of my false sense of control and turn my trust over to God’s plan.

Yet, when I ‘step back and let Him lead the way’ the road is always smooth and the outcome sure. It actually makes me wonder, why I don’t I just choose peace from the very beginning and trust that everything is just perfect under His direction? Who knows… but with practice and a little willingness, I feel like a new spiritual birth is taking place!