Subject: [Masjid Tucson] Submission weekly reminder

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Peace be upon you,

	Knowing God
[Quran 10:61] You do not get into any situation, nor do you recite any Quran, nor do you do anything, without us being witnesses thereof as you do it. Not even an atom's weight is out of your Lord's control, be it in the heavens or the earth. Nor is there anything smaller than an atom, or larger, that is not recorded in a profound record.

Knowing that God controls everything can help us reframe or change how we respond to the world around us. This in turn can help us be happy. For example, if someone cuts me off in traffic--I can yell or retaliate. Or I can think, "Maybe it's an emergency," let them pass, and thank God for keeping me safe. If I let them pass, I can avoid the path to anger and pain, and feel a lot better about my response. Psychologists call this "exercising cognitive change" to help regulate our emotions.

At the end of the day I cannot control the world around me. All I can do is choose how I respond to it. And, if I truly believe that God is in control, and there's a good reason for everything, then with God's help I can avoid the traps of anger and frustration, and instead find peace and contentment. Happiness is Submission to God.



References:
Reframe Our Response, https://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/sp/2020/may/page3.html
God Is Running Everything, https://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/sp/2005/sep/page1.html

Peace.