I Surrender
Becky Middleton of Senlac, Saskatchewan , Canada
“Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by your name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross the rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the Lord am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” -Isaiah 43:1-2
It was one of those days. Things had not been going well, seeding was behind, the work was piling up, and fatigue was setting in. Then it happened. Working in the kitchen, I heard a noise like pshhh. The dishwasher was running, and I thought that was the noise. When I saw the dishwasher had completed its cycle and I could still hear the noise, I ran downstairs to find two inches of water in the cold room, and it was seeping into the carpeted areas. An old pressure tank had let go and was spewing water out of its rusty holes. After shutting off the water main and making a frantic call to my husband, I began to bail out bucket after bucket of water, sponge up carpet, mop the remainder of water off the cement floor, and set up fans to dry things over the next two days.
Hubby was able to temporarily fix a line to let us turn the water back on and called the plumber to do a more permanent fix in the next few days.
After a detour of a few hours, we returned to the rest of the day’s activities, but I had reached a point of total exhaustion. I had a feeling of “whatever” settle over me, and suddenly things that had seemed out of control or so devastating now lacked the sense of urgency. Circumstances and needs had not changed, but my desire to be in control or fix it had. I surrendered.
This is the point we sometimes have to reach to let God be in control. His plan for us is always the right one, but we lack the insight or patience at times to let God be God and implement not my wants and desires, but His plan for me. We are not unique in this weakness. People all through time have struggled with allowing God to guide us in our lives and in His own time. Moses and the Israelites had to wander in the desert 40 years before they were in a condition to enter the Promised Land. Joseph spent many years as a slave and then endured the hardship of prison before becoming a great influence on the Pharaoh of Egypt. Queen Esther went against the law of the land to plead for the lives of her fellow Jewish people and said, “If I die, I die.” The Apostle Paul had to endure several shipwrecks and times in jail before his witness for God was complete. Even Jesus in the garden said in his anguish, “Father, not my will but Thy will be done.”
Life is not easy or painless. We all suffer difficult circumstances in one form or another. God has promised to be with us through all our strife. He calls us by our name, and we are His. Surrendering to Him allows us the freedom of letting go and letting God be in charge of the timing and the outcome. We just have to have the faith and willpower to do it. Surrender.
Prayer Phrase
Let gratitude show you the way (Doctrine and Covenants Section 165:2b).
Spiritual Practice
Gratitude
Gratitude is an important spiritual practice that invites us to see all of life as a gift. We give thanks for our breath, the food we eat, people we love, and all that we have that truly matters. We remember that we are connected and sustained by a web of relationships with creation, God, and other people. Take time each day this month to practice giving thanks and to consider-for what am I most grateful?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
