Surrendered

Fully Surrendered.

Each of us has been in pursuit of a dream. The bible says “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is the tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

Our hearts can get heavy waiting. Waiting for the breakthrough, waiting for a glimpse of the dream, waiting for all of the pieces you are holding to come together and create the life you are going after.

I know. I often look around me and ask, “What do I do with all these pieces?” The things that have not yet come together. The fractions of dreams and goals that seem like they will take years to accomplish with all the other life things you are doing. Jobs, family, kids, community. It always seems that the calendar fills up and leaves particles of time to accomplish things.

I started waking up early to write and work on my book and even then, I am struggling to “make time”. Truth be told, I struggle with the normal mom guilt just like many of you. Are they ok? What am I doing to help them? Are we spending enough time as a family? All the things that run through our minds. Then, I think about my business, I can’t stop, I have to keep going. I have to do this or work on our business goals. Then, there is the ministry. I am planning and working and being. Helping people always. It’s a fun but tiring ride.

I have to say that I am ambitious when it comes to goals. I have learned that being intentional is a must and I work well going after my dreams. Cultivating a life of action and being proactive in my pursuit.

But I didn’t realize that I was missing a key ingredient in pursuit of my dream. This is huge and I believe this is a must for anyone in pursuit of a goal. Ready? ….

Surrender

I know some of you were thinking, “I already knew this”. I know to fully go after your dream you remain hopeful, thankful, and grateful. You surrender things of the past in order to make your life a living epistle of testimony. But let me share this with you when you fully surrender your life to the one who created you, then He will begin to release beautiful breakthrough in areas you had no idea existed.

There is no doubt some seasons are hard, and when dreams are deferred you begin to weigh your life of not how but when. When is the promise fulfilled, when is my dreaming coming, when will I stop feeling guilty about the process. When?? I have been doing all the right things, so when will I see some pieces of this come together?

So, I begin to complain. Yep. Me. Complain and get disheartened about the when. I knew it would come, but the obstacles seem too weighty. Then, as I was in worship I got on my knees, a sign of surrender, a sign of humility, and sign that even in my knowing all the things that wage war in my heart, I remembered this one thing. Would I give it up so that my Father gets the glory?

I began to cry out, “Lord, I give you my kids, my dreams, my goals, my marriage, my ministry, my pain, my disappointment, my broken heart, my …. I am in full surrender because you are my everything.”

When I got up, I felt better. But something shifted. My heart. If I can live my life in full surrender then, I can trust my Father that His words are true and He is good. Everything will be ok.

Surrender is not my becoming a puppet or a slave to the master. On the contrary, it is the act of surrender that says, I know You give me full control, but I know You are greater. You know more. You know that if I let go of the things I am holding so tightly to, then there is more room for my hands to be filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Surrender is an act of faith in trust and hope in our Creator.

Once I did, things began to happen. Things I have been believing and working toward began to “wake up” and the dormant came back to life. The Bible says, “He does exceedingly more than we can ask or think.” We pursue our dreams in surrender and more come. And hey, it’s easy. Because the pressure is off me trying, striving, and making, and it’s on Him to fulfill. Yay God!

He is a good Father with good plans for us. He is always trying to get to us with His love. He is trying to bless us and we walk around waving our hand saying, “Not now God, I am going after my dreams.” Stop and surrender. Look at Him in the face, crawl into His lap, and say “You can have it all.” The point of surrender is to just be with Him and He with you.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.

He just wants you and when you get Him, all your hopes, dreams and goals will supernaturally come to you.

I am determined to live my life in full surrender. I hope you join me too.

#cultivate your life.