In the never-ending gap between Christmas Break and Spring Break. The days feel long, the calendars are jam-packed, and everyone feels like they’re going a little crazy. Am I right?

Some of us are on auto-pilot, barely present in our own lives. Many are overwhelmed, overstimulated, and just over it. Others are screaming on the inside, feeling a little insane.

King Nebuchadnezzar (let’s call him King Neb) had his own moment of insanity. After controlling his own kingdom for far too long, he had a wild dream that became his reality. In Daniel 4, the king “lost his sanity” as he tried to make sense of his life.

Daniel 4:34 says, “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High, I honored and glorified him who lives forever.”

King Neb tried to do things his way, following his plan, in his time. He wanted to do it all, be it all, and handle it all. He attempted to be his own king.

In his insanity, he saw that surrender was the only way to sanity. He realized that he had to remove his own crown of control, look to heaven, and humble himself before the true King.

I think we can see ourselves in King Neb.

We attempt to do it all by our own strength and might. We try to capture control and create our own kingdoms. We make our own plans and fix our own problems.

Then, we lose it…

We live on edge, overwhelmed by our own lives.

We lose sight of the promise of abundant life.

We let the small things build up and break down.

King Neb’s crazy dream led him to the cure for his own craziness.

The secret to sanity isn’t having everything under control. The secret to sanity is surrendering it to the One in control.

Like Neb, we have to remove crowns of control.

We are called to cast every care at His feet.

We are told to fix our eyes on things above.

It’s His Kingdom, we are just in it.

Hand over the crown to the One in control.