Good Morning!

I hope you had a lovely weekend! Many of our lives are busy and complicated. It’s wise to establish some healthy self-care practices that we can enjoy on the weekends. Our minds need a break, and we tend to gain clarity and creativity when we take the time to rest.

I was ruminating about control and surrender this week and began to wonder about the space we hold in between the two. Some say it’s a state of not knowing and learning to be comfortable in that space. Reflection from others advocates pursuit into that place. There’s a school of thought that maintains that surrender leads to despair and that we must fight the fear of failure.

One unknown author noted that “Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender who you are for what you could become.” Another writer shared that “Transformation happens on the other side of surrender.” And one of my favorite thoughts, “Surrender is deeply misunderstood as an act of weakness. Surrender is the bravest and most lucid thing a human ever does.” Danielle Orner, writer, motivational speaker, amputee, and cancer survivor, shared these thoughts:

I’m particularly fond of this sentiment, as it alludes to the need for more profound thought and divine guidance.

Scripture is replete with instructions regarding surrender. For example:

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:31-34 (The Message)

“Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (AMP)

I believe we are met in the in-between. We learn how to capitalize on our efforts without trying to control a situation, and our future outcome is set in motion once we surrender. Faith is the activation of surrender. I’ve heard it said that “Prayer is an altar for surrender, a place we go to hand everything over to God.” Through prayer and meditation, we access divine intervention.

This week, let’s spend some time contemplating what’s happening in our in-between. Is the space amongst our efforts and our surrender serving us well, or do we need to activate the option of handing everything over to God, thereby accessing divine intervention? It’s a matter of choice.

Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda