“I cannot go back to the beginning; I can’t control what tomorrow will bring. Here in the middle is where You have promised to be,” Here Again by Elevation Worship.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle, unsure of what tomorrow will bring? Often, in the middle, it can be easy to ride the waves of fear, worry, or anxiety. How easy it is in our own flesh to be a worrier!

Do you have things in your life that are causing you to ride the waves of fear, worry, and anxiety?

I found myself in this spot recently when God met me in the middle of Hobby Lobby.

While shopping, I came across two quotes:

• Be a Warrior, Not a Worrier

• God Makes His People Strong!

I encourage you to pause and jot down these two items if you’re in a similar spot.

God used this moment to remind me of His sweet invitation: “I am the one to trust to make you strong. I want you to be a warrior in Me and not a worrier in your own flesh.” In the middle of Hobby Lobby, God invited me to come to Him.

The Holy Spirit was nudging me, “Melia, you are living in the tension of many things and you are unsure what the road ahead looks like, but it is not yours to figure out.” You are invited to:

• Release everything fully and humble yourself under Scripture

• Trust Jesus in everything

• Surrender and submit to be in the center of God’s will

• Follow the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct you in everything

Matthew 11:28-30: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Friends, where is the Holy Spirit inviting you to come to Him? I encourage you to spend some time in prayer, taking those things to God using the following as a guide:

• Release by naming the worries, cares, and anxieties, and giving them to God

• Trust Jesus in all things

• Surrender and submit, placing yourself in the center of God’s will

• Follow the Holy Spirit and ask God to lead, guide, and direct you

As we do this, we are freed to watch God lead, follow, and learn the unforced rhythms of grace by living freely and lightly.

Situations in life will still occur where we find ourselves in the middle, unsure of the pathway forward, facing waves of worry, fear, and anxiety, while the Holy Spirit nudges us to take steps out of our comfort zone.

As we constantly and consistently release, trust, surrender, submit, and follow moment by moment and day by day, we are able to live freely and lightly.

Recently, my family went to the beach on vacation. While we were there, we enjoyed watching the waves come in. On this trip, the waves were high, and many surfers were enjoying them. It was a joy to watch them. On one particular occasion, we noticed a dad teaching his younger elementary daughter how to surf. The dad would direct her on the sand and then take her to the big waves. When the big waves came, the dad would get on the board, lift up his daughter, gently hold on to her, and they would surf together. This happened many times.

As my family watched, we were reminded that waves in life happen, but we have the choice of how we respond to them. God is our Father and He wants us to put our trust in Him and follow Jesus. In our submission and surrender amidst the waves, God will teach, strengthen, and hold us, and the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us, step by step.

Psalm 32:8-9 says: “I hear the Lord saying, ‘I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!’”

Friends, let us respond to that invitation with a YES, and let's watch what God will do as we surrender and submit, following the Holy Spirit moment by moment and day by day!

Melia Warren has dedicated 18 years to full-time children’s ministry and resides in Chattanooga, TN. Her passion lies in working with children and families, sharing Christ's love, and fostering spiritual growth through discipleship. She delights in celebrating God’s work, experiencing profound joy by saying yes to Jesus, and spreading His love. Melia treasures connecting with others and welcomes the opportunity to pray with or for you—reach out to her at meliadianne@gmail.com.