The Blank Page

On the first day of the year, an altar server decided to make a list of everything he would do for God. He wrote down every habit he needed to break, every ministry he planned to serve, and every way he could become a better servant. He brought that list to the church altar, expecting to feel joy. But instead, he felt empty inside.

So he tried again. He went back home and added even more promises. He made his list longer and stronger. Then he placed it on the altar a second time. But his heart still felt uneasy and restless.

Confused and discouraged, he went to speak with the parish priest. The priest listened and then said, “Take a blank piece of paper. Write your name at the bottom. And place it on the altar.” So he did exactly that, and suddenly peace filled his heart.

In the prayer that the Lord Jesus taught us, we say, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We’ve prayed those words so many times, but how often do we live them? How often do we let go of our own will, our own agenda, and truly trust God’s plan for our lives?

That blank sheet of paper represents trust. It’s saying, “God, I may not know what this year holds, but I know Who holds this year. I’m signing my name to Your plan, even if I don’t see all the details.”

The reason that the young man found peace wasn’t because of what he planned to do for God—it was because he finally surrendered his plans to God. He let go of control, of trying to script his own story, and he gave God the pen.

So as we begin this new year, let go of the pressure to figure it all out. Take your own blank page to God. Instead of listing everything you want to accomplish and all the changes you want to make, simply write your name at the bottom and say, “Father, let Your will be done.”

Let God write the story. And when you do, you’ll discover that the story God writes with your life will always be more beautiful and more meaningful than anything you could have written on your own.