Alright FINE...Let Him Cook!

Fourth quarter energy: releasing control, trusting God's timing, and allowing life to unfold.

Let me start by telling my business real quick.

At some point, you have to relax. You have to stop trying to control what you cannot control. You have to stop figuring out every detail, predicting every outcome, and making sure everything happens according to the plan you created in your head. Sometimes, you just have to sit back, take a deep breath, and LET GOD COOK.

And with that being said, IT'S FOURTH QUARTER, AND I'M LETTING GOD COOK! 😂🙌🏽

Now, listen. I didn't say I mastered this. I didn't say I woke up one morning, prayed about it, and suddenly became this perfectly peaceful woman who doesn't worry about anything. BABYYYY, let's be for real.

I'm still learning.

To be honest, one of the hardest things for me has been learning how to surrender without needing to understand everything first.

Because why do I need to know how it's going to happen, when it's going to happen, what it's going to look like, and who's going to be involved? And can we please make sure it happens in a way that makes sense to ME?

Like, God, I trust You, but can You send me the itinerary, the confirmation number, and a little preview of the final destination? Thank You! 😂

And that right there is where I had to check myself.

How can I pray for God's will while getting frustrated when His will doesn't look like my vision? How can I ask Him to lead me while constantly trying to grab the steering wheel?

Whew. Let's talk about it!

So, Let's Talk About My Need for Control

I've struggled with not being able to have things a certain way. Notice I didn't say MY way, because I can compromise. I can be flexible. I can go with the flow. It doesn't necessarily have to be my way, but can it at least be a certain way?

LOL. Y'all see what I'm saying?

It's giving Type A energy. Everything needs a plan, a purpose, a timeline, and preferably a backup plan.

But the funny part is, I'm also very much Type C. 😂 Sometimes, it's literally, "It is what it is. Whatever happens, happens. I'm not stressing about it."

So, which one are we, girl?!

Honestly, I think I can be laid-back about the things that don't matter much to me. But when it comes to my future, my family, my finances, my relationships, and the life I'm working to build, suddenly I'm trying to figure out every single moving piece.

I want peace, but I also want certainty.

I want to trust God, but I also want to know the outcome.

I want to surrender, but I still want a little say in how the story unfolds.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized that my desire for things to happen a certain way was sometimes stronger than my willingness to let God show me another way.

Because it's easy to say, "God, I trust You," when everything is working out. It's different when the door closes, the opportunity falls through, the relationship changes, or the timeline gets delayed.

That's when you find out whether your trust is rooted in God or in the outcome you hoped He would give you.

I Don't Always Release It the First Time

Let me tell you something about myself: sometimes, I will hold on to something WAY longer than I need to.

I'll pray about it. I'll think about it. I'll analyze it from every possible angle. I'll convince myself that if I can just understand it a little better or come up with a different approach, maybe I can finally make it all make sense.

And sometimes, I'll even tell myself I'm letting it go when, in reality, I've just found a different way to hold on to it.

Have you ever done that?

You say you're giving it to God, but you're still checking for updates every five minutes.

You say you're not worried, but you've already imagined seventeen different outcomes.

You say you're trusting the process, but you're secretly trying to rush it.

GIRL. SAME.

And the thing is, sometimes I'm trying to protect myself from disappointment. Sometimes I want to prevent something from going wrong. Sometimes I just want to make sure all the work I've put into something actually leads somewhere.

But eventually, I reach that point where I've exhausted every thought, every strategy, and every attempt to make things happen the way I imagined.

And that's when I look up like, "Okay, God. I hear You. I'm done."

Not because I understand everything, but because I'm realizing that holding on is costing me more peace than releasing it ever could.

And why do I have to bump my head 28,923 million times before I get there?! 😂 Lord, please let the lesson land the first time!

I'm learning that I don't have to exhaust myself trying to control something before I give it to God. I don't have to reach my breaking point to surrender. I can do my part and trust Him with what was never mine to carry.

Surrendering Doesn't Mean You Stop Caring

I think sometimes we misunderstand surrender.

It doesn't mean giving up on our dreams, abandoning our goals, or sitting around waiting for a miracle while doing absolutely nothing.

I'm still going to work toward my goals. I'm still going to show up for myself, build, plan, pray, and take opportunities.

But I'm learning there's a difference between being intentional about my life and being obsessed with controlling the outcome.

I can prepare without obsessing.

I can want something deeply without making my happiness dependent on receiving it.

I can love people without trying to control how they show up for me.

I can pursue opportunities without believing one closed door means my entire future is falling apart.

And I can have a vision for my life while remaining open to the possibility that God sees something I cannot.

That's the goal.

I want to be a woman who trusts God beyond what she can see. Not just when the blessing arrives, but while I'm waiting. Not just when the answer is yes, but when it's no, not yet, or something completely different from what I requested.

Because if I believe God can do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what I can ask or imagine, then I have to be willing to admit that my imagination is not the limit.

And neither is my plan.

Fourth Quarter: I'm Letting God Cook!

Now, let's bring it home. WE ARE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER!

And in this season of my life, I'm not trying to force the final score. I'm not trying to rush the clock, call every play, or convince God that my strategy is better.

I'm letting Him cook.

This doesn't mean I'm giving up on the things I want. It means I'm learning to dream big while holding my expectations more loosely.

I can want the business, the financial freedom, the healthy relationships, the beautiful home, the opportunities, and the life that feels aligned with who I'm becoming.

I can pray for those things. I can prepare for those things. I can work toward those things.

But I don't have to dictate every detail of how they arrive.

I don't have to force a timeline just because I'm ready. I don't have to chase something simply because I'm afraid it won't happen otherwise. And I don't have to make a situation work just because I've already imagined what it could become.

What if the thing I'm trying so hard to control is the very thing I need to release to experience peace?

What if this next chapter requires me to stop bringing old fears into new opportunities?

What if the growth I'm praying for requires me to trust without micromanaging and move without needing every detail explained first?

That's what I'm working on.

I'm learning to pray, take action, do my part, and leave room for God to do His.

This fourth quarter, I'm choosing faith over fixation, peace over pressure, and surrender over the illusion of control.

And if something doesn't happen the way I planned? I'll allow myself to feel what I feel, learn what I need to learn, adjust where necessary, and keep moving.

Because I'm no longer interested in exhausting myself trying to control the things I should be trusting God with.

Let God cook, baby. THE KITCHEN IS HIS!

My Challenge to You: Release the Control

Maybe you're reading this because you're waiting on something. A relationship, a job opportunity, financial freedom, your business breakthrough, or an answer to a prayer you've been whispering for months.

Maybe you're tired of trying to figure everything out.

I want you to know that you don't have to have everything figured out today.

Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us to bring our requests to God through prayer and thanksgiving, trusting Him for a peace that surpasses our understanding.

Notice that: a peace that surpasses our understanding.

You don't have to understand everything to experience peace. You don't have to know the outcome to trust the One you're praying to.

So here's my challenge to you, and I'm challenging myself right alongside you.

Before this year ends, identify ONE thing you've been trying too hard to control.

Ask yourself:

• Am I doing my part, or am I trying to do God's part, too?

• Am I trusting the process, or forcing the outcome?

• Am I holding on because this is right for me, or because I'm afraid to let go?

Be honest with yourself.

Then begin releasing what isn't yours to control. Not by pretending you don't care or abandoning your responsibilities, but by giving yourself permission to stop carrying what you were never meant to carry alone.

When you catch yourself overthinking, pause.

When you feel the urge to force something, take a step back.

When you start obsessing over the outcome, return your attention to the next right thing you can do.

You can be responsible without controlling everything. You can be hopeful without being attached to one specific outcome. You can be faithful without having all the answers.

And sometimes, the breakthrough isn't just getting what you've been praying for. Sometimes, it's becoming the person who can wait for it without losing herself in the process.

Final Thoughts: Let Him Cook 🍳

I'm entering this season with a different mindset.

I'm still dreaming. I'm still planning. I'm still working. I'm still becoming.

But I'm also learning to loosen my grip.

I'm learning that my way isn't the only way, my timing isn't the only timing, and my understanding isn't the full picture.

Surrender isn't a one-time declaration. It's a daily decision. Some days, I'll release it easily. Other days, I'll catch myself picking it back up, trying to figure out what God has already asked me to leave in His hands.

And on those days, I'll remind myself to breathe, pray, and release it again.

I don't want to spend my life so busy trying to control what comes next that I forget to appreciate what's happening right now. I don't want to be so attached to my own plan that I can't recognize a new possibility when it appears.

So, yes. It's the fourth quarter.

And this time, I'm not trying to be the coach, the quarterback, the referee, AND the entire front office. 😂

I'm going to show up, do my part, trust God with the rest, and allow myself to be surprised by what unfolds.

LET GOD COOK.

Whatever is for me, I'll meet it with gratitude. Whatever requires redirection, I'll meet it with discernment. Whatever I need to release, I'll work on releasing. And whatever remains unknown, I'll trust God enough to keep walking.

Because I may not know what the next chapter looks like, but I don't need to write every line myself.

And neither do you.

Here's to releasing the pressure, embracing the unknown, and allowing God to do what only He can do.

Fourth quarter energy. Faith over fear. Peace over pressure.

The kitchen is His. I'm just here for the testimony. 🥹🙏🏽✨

Now tell me: What's ONE thing you're releasing control over before this year ends? Let's talk about it in the comments. No judgment, just growth, honesty, and becoming.

Until next time, stay authentic. Stay growing. And remember: you can be a work in progress and still be walking in purpose.

— Alycia 🤎