"But now, O LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You, our potter. All of us are the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph 2:10
We are His. His creation. His children. His church. His joy. His friends. His projects.
Yes, His projects. One of the most significant spiritual discoveries I’ve made in the last few years is that my life is not my project. While this first came as somewhat disappointing news to me, the more I am coming to understand and accept this reality, the more of a relief it is to me. Because while I'm fumbling around in God's grace, learning to hear and follow the voice of my Shepherd, there is an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfect Father working His will in my life and in the world around me. A Father that is more concerned that I reach my full potential than even I am. What could be more encouraging than that?
Acknowledging that God--and not Renee--is the one ultimately in charge of my growth and development has tremendous benefits. It is freeing me from many things, including the need to compare, to compete, to rush, or to take short cuts. It's also helping me break free from an obsession with to-do lists and planning for the future, and from the need to be in control of all situations. Without these preoccupations I can more easily accept the current pace that God is working at in my life, and relax more fully into the moment I'm in. My concern for the amount of time it will take me to reach desired outcomes—whether spiritual, occupational, financial, or relational—is diminished, and I can simply enjoy the process and the journey I'm on with Him.
A corollary to the discovery that my life is not my project is that others' lives are not my project. At times, this has been just as difficult for me to accept, particularly as a parent. More often than I would care to admit, my actions and my anxieties demonstrate that I do not yet fully trust God to do the work of developing others in my life, including my son. In a moment of panic I sometimes jump right in to the middle of God's workplace, as if spiritual formation is my work to do, not His. How backward and prideful is that?
When I'm anxious about another’s problems, behavior, or pace of spiritual growth I’m not resting in the Lord. Trusting God results in peace, not tension and exhaustion. When I’m frustrated by a friend that can’t seem to break free from shame or move beyond a sin struggle, or when I'm stressed by the fact that my son doesn’t share my desire to read the Bible or to be an A student, I’m failing to acknowledge that God is the one in control of their journey, not me. As I'm learning to trust the Lord more fully, I'm more readily laying these burdens down at His feet, knowing that His concern for the growth and well-being of my friends & family far exceeds my own. There is a method to what He is doing and His timing is always perfect. Sometimes the best thing that I can do is simply get out of His way.
The more I turn toward Christ, the less preoccupied I am by others’ struggles & sins (and even by trying to problem-solve my own). I can come alongside my son and point him to God without magnifying his failures or taking them personally. I can stop forcing teaching moments when they are not there, stop comparing his behavior to other kids, and stop trying to control his every thought, desire, & action. Rather than focusing on getting the right behavior from him, I can ask God to show me how to nourish, teach, and encourage my son--how to come alongside Him and lovingly shepherd his heart. And I can do all of this with joy, gratitude, and even rest, knowing that just as with me, God is working in him to fulfill His good purpose. (Phil. 2:13) 
