What a Tizzy Can Do to You

Jesus I surrender myself to you, take care of everything. So goes the ejaculation in the surrender novena by a very holy priest. How often do we really take the time to actually surrender everything to Our Lord? It is so easy to be controlling and try to run everything. We want everything to be perfect. We want things to run smoothly but by trying to direct everything, we might miss what God is actually wanting to happen. He works patiently and discreetly and it is easy to miss what His call is. He works in the small and the mundane and does not like when we are too grandiose and lost in perfection.

Do we know what perfection really is? A barn swallow flitting here and there eating mosquitoes is perfect because she is doing exactly what she was created to do. So to a person is perfect when we go about doing good and doing our duties in our state of life. Anything else is of the Evil One. The Evil One tries to fog our vision with agitation and human initiative. That is when we trust too much in man to bring perfection instead of God. Am I saying imagination is not good? No. God created our mind and He wants us to use it but love has to be our aim and the desire to do good for God’s glory.

So what can we do to guard from anxiety and overthinking? 1)Let Go and Let God. We sadden Our Lord when we push too hard for success without leaving room for His designs. When we focus on the details too much, then we lose sight of quiet inspirations that are the voice of God in the ordinary. 2) Stop and Breathe. Ground yourself in the moment and realize that everything does not rest on you. God is the one moving and acting and we only have to follow and co-operate. He’s the Creator not us. 3) Wait for the fruit. God rarely moves quickly though He can and sometimes does. He more often operates like waves on the shore of the sea that slowly polish and erode the sand and become known over time. 4)Consistency and Discipline. Try to build daily rhythms and good habits. God is pleased when we are faithful to our posts. Little acts of love that we try to repeat and remain steadfast and faithful in bring more joy than great heroic deeds. I propose that small acts of love are more heroic than big lofty ideas.

Being in a tizzy and trying to get things just right, take away joy and energy. When we remain close to God and do what we are created to do, then we can find lasting peace and joy. Steadfastness will grow slowly when we carry both the joys and sufferings of the day. God knows what best fits our heart and is most pleased when we acknowledge His power and direction and follow and embrace those quiet moments of love and anguish instead of trying to control the moment. Next time you find yourself agitated, try to take a look at your motivations and see if a selfish desire is behind it instead of a more quiet loving response that is more fitting and less controlling. A response that is more open for God to move and fill in our gaps.