Surrender has been on my heart.
The first thing that comes to my mind is when I watch an old movie and see someone waving a white flag and surrendering to the enemy.
I surrender to the One who knows my every thought.
I wake up each morning and before my feet even touch the floor I am overcome with the thought “Thank you, God, you gave me another day!” This is not something I had thought about very often but as another birthday approaches (#46) I am in the time of my life where I truly realize that I am not guaranteed another day or year. A young woman in our church who was 41 recently passed away and it was devastating. How can that happen?! She was vital and beautiful and gave back to her family and community….how could her life be over?
But surrendering is not easy. There are times I say my morning “Thank you, God, you gave me another day!” prayer and before I am out the door I’ve already doubted and basically “taken it back”. I’ll surrender tomorrow.
It’s like a diet. You have every good intention, you blow it by eating a cheeseburger and fries, so you figure “Eh, I’ll start again on Monday.” And those of us who know how to diet understand that the best thing to do is eat right at the next meal…not wait until Monday.
Surrendering is the same thing. If we have a moment or a situation that causes us to forget that God is truly in control of our lives, okay, move on and surrender yourself for the rest of the day.
But what some people don’t understand is that surrendering takes work. You can’t just say, “Hey, God, I’m giving it all up to you!” and make bad choices. It’s not just a prayer you say, you have to meet God halfway. An example that is very personal for me centers around my weight. When I surrender my day to God (and that includes making good choices for my health) I can’t go eat fast food and desserts expecting to lose weight. I have to do the work with the right heart. It’s hard.
I am working on strengthening and even developing my relationship with God through prayer. Everyone prays a little differently. Some kneel, others pray on their way to work, some while washing dishes, some find a certain time of day…..but however you decide to pray, make it a practice. Do it often. There’s not a right or wrong way. Imagine God is sitting in his armchair by the fireplace waiting on you to show up.
“I am here, Lord, wanting nothing more than to live the life you have laid out for me. I surrender my life to you knowing that it will not be easy, but I am here, Lord, listening.”
Today I Am Thankful For
- Remembering the sound of my Dad’s voice
- The sound of the water fountain in my study
- Text messages at just the right time
- A clean desk
- leftovers
