Dropping the reins

A few months ago, I was considering whether the Lord Jesus wanted me to leave a particular situation that was challenging for me. As I was praying about it, I heard on Catholic Radio, WDEO, the testimony of a woman whose marriage had been spinning out of control because of her husband's alcoholism.

She had an image of herself driving a horse-drawn carriage whose horses had gotten spooked. They were bolting out of control and heading straight for a cliff. Her efforts to bring them into control were futile. She sensed the Lord whispering to her, "Drop the reins. Drop the reins." Just before hitting the edge of the cliff, she finally dropped the reins, and the horses suddenly stopped on their own.

Within the context of what I was praying about at the time, I felt the Lord was saying to me, "Don't leave, but let go." It hasn't been easy; it still isn't. Hyper-responsible first-born that I am, I'm always thinking that there's something I should be doing. But in the background, I sense the whisper, "Drop the reins. Drop the reins."

I'm realizing that this new call from the Lord to "Surrender the future into My Hands" is not new at all. It's just a new articulation of something He's been saying for a while. So it's no surprise that as I asked the Lord to help me to do that, one of the things He brought to mind was "Drop the reins." Or rather, imagine myself handing the reins to Jesus. Still not easy. But He already holds the future in His Hands. Why not acknowledge it and give Him the reins?

My dear Lord, You alone hold the future in Your Hands. Help me to cooperate with You by handing You the reins in every area of my life.