I’m going to let you in on a little a secret. I get Botox treatments. Yes, you read that right. Once every three months I receive injections. Okay, it might not be what you are picturing in your mind. The Botox injections I get are for a neurological disorder called dystonia. I don’t understand all the bodily mechanics involved in dystonia. My basic understanding is that my brain and nerves tell the muscles in my neck to contract and expand continually. The way to interrupt the faulty communication between my brain, nerves, and neck muscles is Botox injections from my neurologists.

While I am grateful that the Botox treatments work, the process of getting the injections is completely another matter. I sit on a stool with the neurologist right behind me. He pushes needles hooked up to a sonogram deep into my neck muscles and listens for the overactive neck muscles. When he finds them, he uses a syringe to inject the Botox. All the while, I’m to sit while staring straight ahead and not move. Bear in mind that I get a dozen or more injections each time and I’m not given any type of numbing medication beforehand. I simply must trust the neurologist, trust his process, and trust his treatment. I must trust that the neurologist wants to make me well and whole. In other words, I must give up control to him and his works. And, as I already mentioned, it works!

Recently, while trying to psyche myself up for my Botox appointment, which I affectionally refer to as a medieval torture session, I thought about how this relates to my surrendering of control to God…or lack, thereof. Really, the most agonizing part of my appointment with my neurologist is that I have no control over how many times I’ll be poked and injected and what level of pain I will experience. At the root of my desire for control is worry about what will happen if I give up control. For me, that is more severe than the painful pokes themselves. The Holy Spirit brought a convicting word to me about one of those idols, or false gods, that Daniel preached about on Sunday: The idol of control! In all honesty, the false god of control is not life giving. Attempting to be in control is life-draining. We simply cannot be in control. It is allusion.

Our God is so good that He invites us to surrender our anxiety driven attempts at control. While this act of surrender is painful, God’s invitation to trust him is truly an invitation to life. It is an invitation to trust that God in Jesus Christ has our best interest at heart. He wants us well and whole. Let me close out this entry with an invitation that Jesus gives to us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-29, NIV). Does anyone need to hear Jesus’ invitation to be unyoked from the burden of control and TRULY live? I sure do.