I hope you’ll bear with me as I write one more post about this fundraiser that has consumed my life for months! I promise this is the grand finale, so to speak.

If you’re just joining me on this journey, here’s the short recap: this project has been the most challenging one I’ve ever taken on, complete with the steepest emotional and spiritual roller coaster imaginable! It featured my friend Mike and his sidekick Trent from the trick-shot duo That’ll Work, and it benefitted our nonprofit, New Hope Care Community.  Check ‘em both out – you’ll be glad you did.

There were too many challenges and setbacks to count—organizationally, emotionally, and spiritually. At times it felt like it could all lead to a complete breakdown.

But God.

And that’s today’s theme.

The day finally arrived – Wednesday, October 22^nd.  While we saw God’s hand guiding the planning all along, there were still a few areas where we hadn’t quite “landed the plane” – things simply beyond our control.

But I’m incredibly pleased to share that the evening was an amazing success in virtually every way possible. I couldn’t be more grateful to God for orchestrating it so beautifully and for using so many volunteers – their gifts, talents, and even their equipment – to make it happen.

Naturally, the obvious life lesson from this is that we should trust God for a great outcome, and eliminate all that unnecessary stress and strife, and the accompanying sleepless nights.  All that pointless angst just proves that we haven’t given all the control to God, where it rightly belongs.

And yes, that’s certainly one good takeaway.

And yet, I found myself landing in a very different, and slightly more complicated place.  I would even go so far as to say it’s a more realistic application with greater depth.

Suppose I could truly learn to let go of worry and stop clutching for control every time I take on something big or complicated. Suppose I could even declare that I’ve mastered the art of “letting go and letting God.”

Based strictly on this project, if I had maintained perfect peace and confident expectation of a beautiful outcome from Day One, here’s what I would have missed:

• The powerful reminder that a spiritual battle rages around us – and that anything done in Jesus’ name will face fierce opposition from the Enemy.
• The way God kept bringing “battle songs” into my day, sometimes all three of them, through my local Christian radio station.
• Cultivating the perspective of expectant joy: anticipating God’s goodness even when I couldn’t see it yet.
• The importance of knowing God would give me the strength to get through another long day after another short night.
• The jubilation I experienced when a major hurdle was resolved. I always want to be surprised by how perfectly God weaves everything together.
• The contrast between heavy worry and the exhilaration of seeing his hand in the resolution.
• The reminder to do the work and not rest on my laurels. As Proverbs 6 says: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”
  Or, as a dear friend once told me, “God feeds the birds of the air, but He doesn’t throw worms in their nests.” Amen!
• The humbling reflection that even if it had all fallen apart, God could still use that collapse for his glory.
• One more memory to serve me in the future when I need to lean heavily on God’s faithful track record.
• The opportunity to witness to those around me as I returned – again and again – to trusting him.
• The cumulative impact of all these “battle lessons” only served as an overwhelming reminder of how much God loves me and delights in blessing me.
• The clear example of how little my fellow planners and I truly brought to the table in light of all God accomplished.
• And ultimately, the incredible honor of giving all the glory to God.

So, will I trust him more quickly and completely next time? Perhaps. That alone would be a wonderful step in his ongoing work of sanctification in my life. But I also know he will continue to lovingly and patiently teach me – even more powerfully – through the moments when I still stumble and fall short of perfect peace.

Commit Your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3