Letting Go of Control and Anxiety

I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.

Have you ever felt super anxious and stressed about something?

Have you ever felt like you are carrying this burden alone?

That’s how I was feeling.

I brought my burden to my husband and he just didn’t get it, he tried to help but he couldn’t.

I felt even more alone.

One thing he told me was to remember, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I thought yeah right, that doesn’t even make sense.

Why would Jesus say that?

Doesn’t it contradict “pick up your cross and follow me?”

Soon after, I followed a journaling prompt from “Awaken my Heart,” and I gave my burden to God, I journaled what I was going through, what was stealing my peace.

I continued to follow the prompt and I thought of a time when I felt unexplainable peace.

I remembered a time when I felt an even heavier weight, the kind of weight that keeps you up at night, where you feel like you are suffocating.

I remember sitting in an adoration chapel with Jesus and Mary, telling them about it and feeling an overwhelming peace come over me.

I reflected on how this overwhelming peace is what Jesus always wants to give me.

I realized that the weight, the burden, and even the cross is heavy when I have a white knuckle grip on control, on my will.

When I am being stubborn and holding tight to my selfish will being the best and thinking of all the ways leaving things to God could turn out worse, that’s when it’s heavy.

The burden and the cross are heavy when I am holding tight to control.

Here’s the thing, I don’t know exactly how God’s Will will play out.

I tell myself I don’t like surprises.

I want to know all the details, I want to know exactly how I will get from point A to point B.

But truthfully that would be such a boring life.

The burden is light when we give God control, when we let go and trust God.

Trust that He wants to give us Joy, and Peace.

Friend, if you are feeling a similar heaviness, know you are not alone.

Take it to God, go to an adoration chapel or grab a blank piece of paper and talk to Him first.

Feel you grip loosen as you remember a time when you felt that unexplainable peace & remember that’s what He wants to give you always.