Surrender

Being truly thankful...

Lately, I have had a lot on my plate. This summer I experienced the loss of my 25 year old nephew in a climbing accident. In July my husband and I began work on purchasing and remodeling a building for the purpose of opening a private school. To that end, we moved out of the smaller building we owned and with some re-modeling there opened an infant toddler center. We celebrated 25 years in business...then in September I found out my oldest daughter had breast cancer. She was told that the recommendation was double mastectomy. In all of that, I have experienced the joy of my youngest daughter pregnant with her first baby, only to find out she has gestational diabetes. Finally, my heart has hurt for those close to me suffering from the economy, loss of job, loss of what was...and more yet unknown.

All of these things have been too much for me to handle and I have felt a crush on my spirit like nothing I have ever felt before. I have been stressed, overwhelmed, and so sad. The good thing in all of this, is that I have found a new sense of thankfulness. Any one of these by itself would be a lot for a person to handle! Mix that with my "fix it" personality and I have problems. I immediately want to create peace and harmony for all and take away the pain, to fix the problem and to mend the hurt. I discovered that my trying to be in control simply was not working for me. My stress was increasing, my happiness was decreasing, and my ability to live peacefully was lacking. I remembered and heard in my head an old song we used to sing in church. "I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed savior, I surrender all". In the versus that follow,the song simply repeats the idea of surrendering to God.

I began daily asking God to take away from me what was not mine to fix. I began practicing removing from my spirit that which was not mine to control. Since I have been doing that, I have seen a difference in my days. My compassion has increased, my spirit is lifted, and my energy is better. By allowing God to be in control I find I can love more. I can see that all things are possible and the goal of peace and harmony are real, knowing God has taken the burden from me.

Its really no revelation, but for me it has helped me increase my faith and live in peace daily. It is believing that someone bigger than me is in control. Today when I woke up and as I always do, began writing in my journal, it became evident to me that I was trying to take care of some things I had no business with. I surrendered it all in that moment and returned to a peaceful place.

I know that there is a plan bigger than me, one better that I could never accomplish on my own, and I am blessed as a result. I can't wait for what is next. I am thankful, I am grateful, and I am experiencing new possibilities. I am thankful for my God, for my faith, and for the knowledge that I can live peacefully in a world surrounded with unrest.

May you and your family be blessed this season and choose in your own lives to surrender all!