Trusting God

I don’t know if it is human nature or just a part of our culture as Americans, but we love “catch phrases.” A catch phrase is a statement that sums up our feelings about events that take place in our lives, or a statement about a product that someone is advertising. It is not uncommon to see these catch phrases on tee-shirts, bumper stickers, and even billboards. Businesses will pay lots of money to get a catch phrase that sums up their products in a manner that causes people to remember them in positive ways.

Here are some of those catch phrases that I remember: “It’s the real thing,” “The New Generation,” “We’ll leave the light on for you,” “Good night, John Boy,” “Have it your way,” “Eat mor chikin,” “Don’t worry, be happy,” “How do you spell relief?” “Make my day,” and my all time favorite, “Where’s the beef?” Some of these phrases became bigger than the products they were designed to advertise.

I have my own catch phrase that I have used for years to express myself when I don’t know what else to say. I cannot say that this phrase originated with me, nor can I remember where I first heard it, but it sums up my thoughts on a number of topics. What is this jewel of wisdom you ask? Here goes…”It is what it is!”

No matter what someone says or does, if I don’t have anything to add to the situation, I simply say, “It is what it is!” I generally use this phrase when I feel someone wants to make an unnecessary complaint about something over which I have no control, like the weather, temperature, work, traffic, dealing with relatives, school, weight (mine or theirs), age, or a number of other topics. It is not that I want to be cynical or uncaring, but sometimes there is just nothing else to say.

Sometimes I use my catch phrase when talking with someone who is simply trying to start and argument. If you have to deal with someone whom cannot possibly please, arguing with them will not accomplish anything. So, I just say, "Well, it is what it is!" After all, Proverbs 20:3 says, “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel.”

Recently, something wonderful took place in my personal life that was nothing short of a miracle from my Heavenly Father. Since it is of the personal nature, I will not describe it in detail, but for the record, it was a situation that I couldn’t see changing at any time in the future. Before the Lord changed the situation, many people would bring it up in conversations. When this particular problem was brought up to me by friends or family members, I would simply say, “It is what it is!” It wasn’t as though I hadn’t tried to correct the matter, to the contrary, I felt as though I had done all I could do, but nothing seemed to help solve the problem. I had “hit a wall” and I was left to do the thing that I should have done at the beginning, turn the situation over to God. I can only speak for myself, and I am unanimous in this, it is hard to turn something over to God when you believe you can or should handle it yourself. After I saw God do something to solve a problem to which I had no answer, which God does better than anybody else, I came to add an addendum to my sage saying, “It is what it is, until it ain’t!”

Is there something in your life that you need to completely turn over to God, allowing Him to take care of it according to His will and through His power? When we give God room to work in our lives, He will show us His glory in His own good time. In the meantime, we can rest in the assurance that He knows what is best.

When God reveals His glory and power in situations beyond our control, we need to praise Him for His love and mercy in our lives! Psalm 147:1-2 tells us, “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.”

I want my presence before the Lord to be pleasant. I thank the Lord that when we are willing to trust Him with the events and situations in our lives, whether large or small, He gives us peace and victory. I have discovered that when God is in charge, "It is what it is!" can become "It is what God wants it to be!" And, that gives me peace!