Hello my faithful readers! Now I know that it has been a few weeks since I've written anything. Truth is I could tell you a million reasons why it didn't happen, but I don't feel like I have to. I know you all know how life goes! So the title of today's post has been on my mind for weeks. I never could figure out quite how to go about addressing it, so here goes nothing! Lately, I've been walking through a season of life where nothing goes as planned. Being pregnant, I've had a lot of very emotional responses to these events. I've done everything I possibly could think of to change the outcome of events, and time after time I've failed. Things are beyond my control, and that's not something that's easy to admit. Take my beautiful baby girl for example... I change her diaper, and two minutes later she decides to soil it. I make her a bottle to help her sleep in the car, she flips it upside down and soaks everything around her, including herself. I put food on her tray, she throws it on the floor. I hand her her sippy cup, it too ends up on the floor. But she has the cutest little face and hand-gesture when she says "uh-oh" and looks at the messes she's made. So God's grace is in there. Just needed to be seen. There are so many things, day in and day out, that are beyond our control. I've noticed too often that everyone around me is fighting tooth-and-nail to change things. They, and myself, are being bound up in the chains of circumstantial hardships. Even when we think that things are looking up, we fail to recognize that we are still captured by our tendency to fail. We think we are moving forward, but the weight of the chains keeps us anchored in all the wrong places. I have been anchored in anger and frustration. In disappointment and heartache. In my lack of ability and failure to progress. Then in one moment everything changed. I simply uttered the words just loud enough to be a whisper, "God, I surrender it all to you." In an instant, the weight was lifted, the chains were broken, and I felt hopeful again. I realized that the reason I was so miserable is because I was trying to do everything, be everything, and accomplish everything in my own strength. In all things, in my own strength, I will fail. Of that I am certain. But I know and I'm so glad to be reminded of this sweet truth. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." In surrendering everything fully to God, you are admitting that you know you are failing on your own. You're admitting that you don't know how to change the things around you, and that you know there is a better way. You are admitting that you are feeling overwhelmed and crushed by your circumstances and in need of some serious guidance. You are admitting that you alone are not enough and that you need His help. But you are also letting go. In true surrender, you cease resistance and submit yourself. I have found such wonderful and realfreedom in doing this. It's so simple, and something that I challenge each and every one of you to do with me! Every morning, as I'm just waking up, I have an alarm set to remind me to do this. I pause, quiet my heart and already racing mind, and I simply say the words, "God, thank you for this amazing day of life. I surrender my life to you. My husband, my marriage, my babies, this pregnancy, my body, my business, my friendships, my plans, my hopes and dreams, my frustrations and the pains of my heart, my joys and the celebrations in my life, everything good and bad, I give it to you today. Help me to leave it all at the foot of the cross. Show me that your way is better and give me the trust and strength when I have none." Now, you can tailor it to fit your life, but I so highly recommend this! That was more of a vague example, and I often go into great, personal detail on my current struggles, but it so helps to start your day with the right perspective. Sometimes I still have day-long struggles of surrendering things to God, but when my heart is pounding and my eyes are tear-brimmed, I surrender. When my heart is full and laughter cannot be contained, I surrender. When my pregnancy hormones kick in and I start to worry about my upcoming season of life with two babies, I surrender. When something really profound and so God-ordained happens, and everything falls perfectly into place, I surrender. Because none of this life is for us--it is all for God's glory that we are alive. So take it from me. It is so much better than being weighed down and bound in the chains of our own inabilities to simply rejoice in the freedom in surrender. sincerely, t
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TashinaRead. Write. Create. Love. Archives
October 2018
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