Control Girl

I attended a talk tonight that are exclusively for women. The topic was about Control Girl.  Shannon Popkin was the guest speaker.  She spoke about herself being a control girl.  She said that when we try to take control because we want things to be in order, we tend to make things miserable.  And that she learned that in order to make everyone happy, we have to surrender what we cannot control (or something to that effect).  I enjoyed every story she shared and inspired me to learn more about ``surrender.``

In one of the stories she shared, she mentioned about the remote control for a playstation that she bought from a garage sale.  When she reached home she found out that it wasn't working.  Although it was faulty, it helped in a way to solve "problems" between her children.  She has 3 kids and when they were toddlers the youngest always tried to snatch the controls from his elder siblings.  The elder two gave the faulty control to the youngest, he played with it and enjoyed it as if he was also part of the game.  He was very happy but in reality he was UNPLUGGED, not in control.

It was in a very inspiring way that she said, in all our endeavors we thought that all the time we are in control, but in actuality, it is God who is in control.  She made a correlation that the first human being who tried to take control was a woman.  That woman who was a Control Girl was Eve.  Although God forbade that they touch a certain fruit, she still took it when the snake told her that it will open her eyes- will make her like God.  As soon as she ate the apple and shared it with Adam, their eyes opened and found they were naked. This again proves that when we try to be a control girl, we make things miserable.  Adam and Eve were cursed and chased out of Eden.

She then mentioned that there were times that she, Shannon, a control girl, had arguments with her husband.  She was demanding his husband to help her but he was tired and did not want to do what she wanted.  She then remembered in the teachings that she should surrender just like how Jesus surrendered to God by saying, not my will but your will be done. We should be a woman version of Jesus, willing to give up control...willing to surrender.

The talk was a really good one.  Very inspiring specially for women who are control girls - of family matters, of relationships, at work, in community.  But there is something very important is missing in the talk. I could not figure it out at first, but my sister, who was attending with me wrote in her phone - Mary is the first woman who surrendered control.  Yes, that is it!  There is no mention of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  The woman who reversed the curse of Eve.  When the angel told her that she will bear a son and will be the mother of Jesus, she answered: MAY IT BE DONE UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.  Full surrender.  No second thoughts, no doubts, just full trust in God.  She suffered by giving birth in a stable.  She moved from one place to another to protect Jesus.  When Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, she was also there, surrendering everything to the plans of God.  If there is a perfect woman version of Jesus, that is Mary.  The very woman who raised Jesus as a child.  The very woman who God chose and completely SURRENDERED.  Who would have taught Jesus such attitude?  His mother for sure.

No offense meant, but removing Mary from the picture, the history is not complete.  Removing Mary, Mother of Jesus - a very important character in the Bible, from the picture, there is still no full surrender.  You are still a Control Girl.