He works all things according to the counsel of His will....

Ephesians 1:11 I am reminded today as I sit and ponder on the things God allows into my life, that He is sovereign. He is always working things according to His will.  I woke up this morning around 5 and my first thoughts went to heartaches in my life. Things I can't change. People I can't change. Situations I can't change. I lay in bed for about 30 minutes as my mind just raced with all the anxieties and stresses of the day, and of course, past hurts. I woke up grumbling and depressed. Is it any wonder? Mornings like that it is difficult to do anything. Prayers are hard to utter. Reading my Bible is nearly impossible. Why? Because when I spend my time thinking about things that I can't change I am focusing on myself.....focusing on my problems and hurts and not on the One who controls the moon and the stars....and even knows the hairs on my head.  As I lay in bed thinking about one thing in particular that has caused me great pain, I started thinking of ways I could make it different. What could I do to change that situation? Oh, I am the great manipulator. The great deceiver. I wonder what my parents would have named me had I been born in Bible days....a time when names reflected one's character. All my life I have learned how to manipulate situations to try to get what I wanted...to try to get them to turn out as I saw fit. The funny thing is, looking back now, I realize I have caused myself much more harm than had I let go and given it to God. Isn't that the way it is? That is the way Satan operates. He starts by reminding me of my past mistakes, hurts, problems and then he tells me that it will always be the same in the future, unless I do something about it. But that is completely opposite of what God's word teaches. God shows me that I can let it go. I can give it to Him. I can rest in the fact that "He works all things according to the counsel of His will." All things. All things in my life are being worked out by a loving Father who promises to make them good...beautiful someday. If I hold on to His promises and trust Him, I can just give the situation to Him and trust that someday, it will bring sunshine and not rain.  What an amazing promise. It sure takes a lot of work off of my shoulders. I don't have to fret. I can simply trust.