Beyond Our Control: Let Go of Unmet Expectations, Overcome Anxiety, and Discover Intimacy with God

Beyond Our Control: Finding Peace in God’s Plan

Life doesn’t always follow the script we hoped for. Seasons of grief, pain, and uncertainty are inevitable, and when we realize how little control we truly have, it can feel overwhelming. But what if surrendering that illusion of control could lead to a deeper connection with God, a richer prayer life, and a hope-filled perspective?

Beyond Our Control offers a compassionate guide for navigating life’s unexpected twists. Drawing from Scripture and real-life experiences of adoption, infertility, illness, and loss, this book gently shows how trusting God’s plan brings greater contentment than anything we could orchestrate on our own.

Through biblical insights and practical encouragement, you’ll learn to:

• Recognize how the illusion of control fuels anxiety and robs peace.
• Shift your expectations to glorify God, discovering a richer purpose for your life.
• Find hope and healing through Jesus’ own suffering on the cross.
• Embrace lament as a way to process pain and invite God into your grief.
• See how even loss can lead to growth and deeper faith.

If you’ve ever wrestled with the gap between the life you wanted and the life you have, this book offers a hope-filled invitation to trust in God’s goodness and find peace in His perfect plan.

Lauren McAfee is the founder and visionary of Stand for Life and also serves as the ministry director at Hobby Lobby. Lauren is the author of Only One Life, Not What You Think, Legacy Study, and Created in the Image of God. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Ethics and Policy. Lauren previously worked for her father, Steve Green, while he founded Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, serving as curator, artifact collection manager, and director of community engagement. Lauren and Michael are happily married with two fierce and feminine girls, Zion and Zara.

Michael McAfee is the president and founder of Inspire Experiences, a PhD student studying public theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and an Oklahoma City Thunder fanatic. His greatest accomplishment in life is escaping the friend zone with Lauren when they were in high school. Michael and Lauren wrote a book on next-gen Bible engagement titled Not What You Think. They are covenant members of Council Road Baptist Church where Michael serves as one of the teaching pastors.