The conversation hummed non-stop in the local restaurant. Voices mingled with the background music and TVs spouting news or sports. Table tops displayed meals shared by couples, friends, and families. As I sat across from my friend, I realized how easy friendship is when you release agendas and let the conversation cover all the topics.
What seemed like minutes had turned into hours and what looked like two friends enjoying a meal and conversation was exactly that. I often sit across from others and practice presence only to find my mind cluttered with tomorrow’s list or what’s coming up on my calendar. It’s hard to admit that I forget the easy God grants me in the everyday and instead make things harder. Taking the jumble of things swirling in my head takes intentionality even on my best days. Please know it is not a reflection on the other person, but always a pointing back to me and the knuckle-tight grip I hold on to so many things. Release is God’s call to surrender in every minute of everyday.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Romans 8:23
If we long for for all of our sin to be wiped away, we need look no further than Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. But if in this longing we find a daily battle to release the sin we face, we need only repent.
I am in a season of learning to surrender daily. God calls me to release my burdens to Him and not try to pick them back up. As my friend sat across from me the other evening in the restaurant, we both shared how quickly we pick back up what we just released. She described that God reminds her that He is driving and we need to move over. Are you trying to drive the car from the passenger seat?
God is in control. These are words I repeat daily. God takes our weakness when we let it go and replaces it with HIs strength. When I remember this, I also realize that surrender is okay. I am not losing anything in the process. Instead, I am gaining God. Why wouldn’t I want that?
[Tweet “Surrendering to God takes the control we desire and makes it even better in God’s strength.”]
As we begin this new week, may we release those things that we feel we need to control. May we enjoy the passenger seat and take in the scenery because God knows what He is doing.
Sabbath Blessings,
Thank you for this encouragement to surrender what we’re holding onto and release it into God’s power to control, Mary. I needed this reminder today to release my weakness again into His hands to be filled with His strength. I’ve been overly worrying again about something that He’s got in control. I need to let go and let God. Love and hugs to you!
Praying for you as you release your anxiety to God. It is a hard thing to do but God loves nothing more than to take the worry from you. May God speak words of encouragement to you as you go throughout this week.
This is so true: “how easy friendship is when you release agendas and let the conversation cover all the topics.” Those are the friendships I love and yearn for.
Those friendships are such a gift. I pray God brings friends along who are happy to just be themselves.
“Surrender is okay.” What a great reminder, Mary! Our society teaches us that surrender is a negative, but surrendering to God is always a gain – great teaching today, sweet friend! Blessings on your Sabbath.
Our society does teach us surrender is negative because it prides itself in always having control. But what many don’t know is that true control is when you let it go and let God take over. That is where we find freedom.
Dear Mary,
I’m so good at picking up those burdens again–almost without even realizing it! Suddenly there it is, the old worry, held in my arms again. Thank you for these great thoughts today: “I also realize that surrender is okay. I am not losing anything in the process. Instead, I am gaining God. Why wouldn’t I want that?” Oh, yes indeed!
As I wrote those words you quoted above, I could hear God whispering those words in my ear. Gaining God is everything and once again, why wouldn’t I want that? I pray we learn there is freedom in surrender.
Mary,
I am great at casting my cares and my sins and then scurrying over to pick them back up again. Seems rather futile, but yet I do it. Isn’t it refreshing to know that “easy” can come with the 4 little words you mention….”we need only repent.” Jesus makes it so easy and we make it so complicated at times. Thanks for this Sabbath blessings,
Blessings,
Bev xo
There is easy with God but as you said, I also make it harder by letting go, picking up, letting go, picking up, etc. Repentance is the one area I am realizing I need to not only learn more about but also actively engage in. God never intended for us to have a roller coaster life. Praying you have a blessed week.
I can quickly pick back up what I just released. I think it has something to do with pain avoidance too. Sometimes what I’m holding on to is to fill up an unmet want, when really God wants me to fill it up with Him! Happy Sunday Mary.
Great insight! I haven’t looked at picking up what we let go of as pain avoidance but it makes sense because I’m always looking for the comfortable and familiar. This many times means going with the familiar whether it’s best for me or not. May we both learn to release the control to God and let Him carry it for us.
Enjoying the passenger seat is such a powerful image.
Thanks, Mary, for Sunday morning wisdom.
When my friend started sharing the visual of God driving the car, I took it a step further. I believe we know God is in control but we try to reach over from the passenger seat and steer the car when it’s going in a direction we don’t like. This sounds like me when my sons were learning to drive. Hope you Sunday was blessed.