Surrender to the Abundant Life

Life has been a blurred whirl since mid-August. Significant events made the days gone by memorable in ways I could not have imagined. And, the season has only just begun. 

What happens when life speeds up, and you’re already going as fast as you can, working to stay ahead, not just keep up? Maybe you’ve been there. Or it’s happening right now.

Someone mentioned that there are only nine Mondays until Christmas! And we are all seeking ways to celebrate the holidays in a new and different way.

I have been discovering the true essence of surrender–delivering (giving) up to God all that I have no control over, which is just about everything in life and this world. It comes with the territory of belonging to Jesus–my life is now His.

It has brought me to a deeper meaning of what we call in recovery circles, living “life on life’s terms.” Acceptance of the uncontrollable situations and circumstances—the ones we didn’t ask for as well as our heart’s desires.

We learn in early sobriety to get rid of the disillusionment that we can make things happen, change people, and stop the fearful worry that keeps us paralyzed and leads to anxiety and, ultimately, illness and depression. (Proverbs 12:25)

Jesus said, “the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy.”  (John 10:10) The devil works—sometimes not very hard—to disturb our daily peace, distract us from focusing on what’s in front of us right now—staying present in the moment —and deter us from our ultimate Kingdom mission on earth.  

My mom suffered a major stroke (from which she never recovered) while I was visiting her in August. My husband retired on October 1, and we are in the middle of purging, packing, and planning our move to another state. Some of you may be going through a patch of rough road.

Life is in session, and I am not in control. Acceptance and surrender are the keys to victory over the circumstances.

This morning I was reminded of the rest of John 10:10—God is in control. His Grace is sufficient for this day. His promise is for life above anything we could ever imagine—true abundance in Him.

What is true abundance?   Be looking out for an e-mail on what it means to live the abundant life. You can also head on over to Facebook and join my group #takebackyourlife! where we share as a community experiencing life in Jesus daily.