Surrender…What Happens When God Takes Over

My Sole Desire

On New Year’s Eve of this year (well, technically last year), I stressed the importance of God taking the lead in our lives. That is, the importance of our only desire being God reigning within our hearts and speaking and living through us.

Then I made a cheeky comment about their not being a blog by next New Year’s if I were successful in my goal.

I knew that me not caring about the blog or my YouTube channel was a conceptual possibility, but I didn’t logically think it would happen.

Well friends, I vastly underestimated the power of single-pointed desire. Or, more accurately, I underestimated the power of the Holy Spirit.

We’re not in Kansas Anymore

At some point in the past few months, as I prayed in earnest for the Holy Spirit to “take the wheel,” a monumental shift happened in my consciousness. Calm, peace, and joy took the place of anxiety, and past or future-centered thinking. I began to live from a beautiful peace within the present moment.

The world looks different. It feels different. And there aren’t any buildings lying on top of dead witches. Or if there are, I’ve missed them.

Day By Day

The famous Godspell song says it well. This is increasingly the heart of my prayer each waking moment:

To See Thee More Clearly

To Love Thee more Dearly

To Follow Thee More Nearly, Day by Day

“Day By Day”–Godspell

In Practice…

So, what does it look like in practice?

I wake up and trust God’s leading from the moment my finger swipes the alarm to silent. Most days, I have no freaking clue what will happen, or the reality ends up being far different from what I “planned”.

I tend to trust that whoever and whatever shows up in front of me is the lesson that God has for me, or for them, or for both of us.

But, my ego doesn’t always get out of the way. Sometimes, the old me pops back in and gets to talking or running the show. But I can feel the difference (it feels pretty rough after all the peace) and I eventually surrender again. Sometimes I fall out of rhythm for a day or longer, but my soul knows its way back home.

I learn so much from those moments when I can feel when God speaks or moves through me. It’s as if Christ takes over my body, mind and heart. And then, later on, when my mind processes the conversation or action, Scripture comes alive for me.

I can see Jesus drawing in the dirt to rescue the woman about to be stoned, for I felt that calm wisdom come alive within me. I understand firsthand what it means to turn the other cheek or to notice the outcast’s (per the world) pain or sacrifice. It’s as if I’m outside of myself watching these stories come to life.

My body has not been used for healings yet. If you’ve got leporsy or a demon, I’d recommend taking your housecalls elsewhere.

A Heart for Worship

And when I’m not called to any particular conversation or learning moment, all I want to do is fall into silent meditation or wholehearted worship.

My previous urges to “get another post up” or “write another meditation” or “clean that room in the house” are just gone.

Who are you and what have you done with the woman who wrote this blog?

Yeah…my point exactly.

I did feel drawn to spit out this post tonight. It was written in about a half hour, but it comes straight from the heart.

The Future

I don’t know what’s next for me. But I know it won’t be me doing the leading. Maybe there will be a blog, maybe there won’t. Either way, it’ll be exactly as it should be. I know that in the depths of my soul.

After all that rambling, here’s the bottom line:

If you’re on the fence about handing over the reins/surrendering control of your life to God, here me on this one:

Once God is through with you, you’ll be asking why on Earth you didn’t do it earlier.

The Kingdom of Heaven awaits you, my brothers and sisters. And it’s not our there somewhere. It truly is within you.

Surrender to God. Heaven, and your loving Father, are waiting for you with open arms.