Surrender

We have been studying together for almost two years now. Our small group is growing, two babies have been born to us since we began to gather. We have dug in the Word and sharpened one another week after week. There are times I hang on the wealth of wisdom that others share throughout an evening. Other times I am like a water fountain, full, and ready to fill and encourage. We are becoming like family.

One of the little ones, that usually plays quietly at her granny's feet during our study, doesn't say much to me. She looks at me with big eyes and speaks volumes with her smile, but she still holds her words back. Sometime last summer she embraced me as soon as she caught my eye. The first time, we had not seen each other for a few weeks, she ran to greet me with a big hug. She melted into my arms, surrendered completely to our embrace. Since that time she faithfully greets me in this precious way.

Surrender.

It was the word that I have been meditating on since we gathered two evenings ago.

The little three-year-old's grandpa is our leader. He was the first to quicken the word, surrender, to my soul this week. He began with a quote that someone had sent to him. He paraphrased it this way.

"We don't talk about commitment in my country the way that you do in the American churches. In my country we talk about surrender. Commitment is something you do with an equal." Romanian Pastor

I was immediately quickened with his words. I have been very committed. I realized that I have boasted that I have that strength ... I can hang in there even when the going gets tough. I don't enjoy the ride  so much and I have sometimes whined along the way but I hang tight until the end. We can go through the hardest of things together and when we arrive at the other side of a trial, I will still be hanging out with you. I am committed.

But am I surrendered?

This is a new concept ... not really ... it is an old concept presented in a new way ... a way in which challenges,  convincing me I need to change.

Someone else posted a few more quotes about surrender this week. Here is the one that pierced me.

"One of the challenges of complete surrender to  Christ is that we don't know what lies ahead ...
God says instead, "Here's the blank piece of paper, I want you to  sign your name on the bottom
line, hand it back to me and let me fill in the details." Nancy Leigh Demoss

Will I sign my name to that blank page and be content with the way He fills in the details?

I want to.

I want to be with the Lord like my little friend that has learned to embrace me, completely, unreserved, with her whole heart.
I want to be surrendered like that  ... every day ... without hesitation ... without considering the cost ... fully trusting knowing that He will faithfully bless a heart of surrender.

I want to remain committed to you. I think I will be able to do it even better if I am completely surrendered to Him ... perhaps I will be able to do it with a lot less whine.